Datasets:

IconicAI
/

DDD

Dataset card Data Studio Files Files and versions Community

Split (1)

train · 56.6k rows

index int64 0 56.6k	thread_id int64 0 1.54k	message_id int64 0 752	author_id int64 0 2.81k	author_num_posts int64 2 36k	message stringlengths 0 134k	character stringlengths 0 110k
56,002	1,534	5	2,030	539	Walking through the shopping mall was a young man accompanied by an elderly man and woman. His name was Adrian Winter. Adrian wasn't comfortable at all. Being an 18 year old with his parents wasn't exactly the ideal image, and it didn't help that they were intending to skip the giant line of people altogether. If it was up to Adrian, he would have rather waited in line like everyone else, but his parents persuaded him that it was a waste of time; time which could be spent in his studies and training instead. He gave in when they said that he would not receive a copy of "Threshold of Kakophonia" if he did not spend the 2 days before the release (the amount of time people waited in line) in their personal library. So instead of having Adrian wait in line, his parents chose to have their local GameStop reserve a copy for them, and have it be given to them upon arrival. The store would not refuse them. After all, they were the owners of the Winter Group business conglomerate. The closer they got to the store, the larger the line seemed to become. Adrian started to wonder if he would've regretted waiting in line if he forced it. Still, he had to admire the devotion of some of the gamers here. He loved video games in his own way, but not in the way that others were willing to spend two days and one night in a line. As they approached the entrance, some people gave them strange looks Some even told them to get at the back of the line if they were here for the MAELSTROM console and ToK copy. However, some people recognized Adrian's father as Norman Winter, and started gossiping. Some of the journalists covering ToK's release overheard them. "Would you look at this, folks? Even wealthy businessman Norman Winter appears to be giving in to the hype. Let's see if we can get a few words from him." A female reporter said to the camera. Adrian's father, sharp as always, tapped him on the shoulder. "Son, head to the store with your mother and talk to the employees. They will arrange our purchase. I'll take care of this." He said. Adrian nodded and went towards the entrance. He could overhear his father speaking with the reporter. "Excuse me, we're with PC Gamer holo-magazine and we'd like to ask you some questions, if it's not too much of a problem." The woman said. "Go ahead." Norman replied. "Is it true that the Winter Group helped finance the new VR game, Threshold of Kakophonia?" She asked. "We sent several donations, yes. But we did not directly interact with the companies who created it." His father replied. Adrian couldn't hear the rest of the interview as he walked away. He thought about how his father failed to mention his "donations" were several members of the Winter Group who invested in the new VR game trend, and owned shares of both MAELSTROM and ToK. Apparently, everyone knew how big of a hit the new games were going to be. Upon approaching the entrance, they were stopped by the security guard who pointed at the far end of the area. "Back of the line, buddy." He said. "Umm... My name is Adrian Winter." Adrian said rather awkwardly. The guard thought for a moment, then looked surprised. "Oh! So sorry about that, sir! One moment please." He said as he went inside the store and spoke with the employees. A while later, an employee came outside carrying a bag containing the preorder set (complete with ToK poster). "Here you are, sir. We hope you enjoy it." He said with a smile as he retreated back into the store. Looking down into the bag, Adrian could hardly suppress a smile. "I'm finally going to be playing a VR game, online!" He thought. His mind was already overflowing with ideas on what he was going to find in that virtual world. His mother tugged gently at his shirt. "We should get going, dear." She said. Adrian nodded and turned his head up. His smile disappeared when he saw the line again, with several people looking enviously at his bag. Adrian started to not feel so good about the purchase, but he couldn't return it nor give it to someone else, considering it was bought with his parent's money and not his allowance. With that, they walked away from the store and met up with the father. "Well, I won't take up anymore of your time, sir. I'm sure your son is dying to try out his new video game." The reporter said, looking at Adrian, who half-heartedly turned away from the camera. "Well there you have it folks. An exclusive interview with Norman Winter." The reporter continued as the family walked out of the mall. --- Arriving at their large home (and unboxing his set), Adrian quickly headed into his room to set up the MM console. His room was large for that of a teenage boy's room (considering he's had it ever since he was in elementary). His bed and study table was on the far side, next to a large window with foldable blinds. To the right of the room was a flatscreen TV on the wall, along with a gaming PC near it at the near corner. On the left side of the room was a large bookshelf for leisure reading, and a glass drawer containing multiple kinds of game merchandise from franchises he's played (including Tekken and Kingdom Hearts), with several posters on top of it. Since the Winter Group had already invested in the VR industry, Adrian had the privilege of testing some of the earlier models a few days before their commercial release. The MAELSTROM was the latest, most advanced, and most user-friendly of all the gaming models. So, he didn't have much trouble setting it up with his gaming PC. The next step was installing "Threshold of Kakophonia". He loaded the game into the MM, which showed a message on his PC saying that it had to be synchronized first. Adrian was already used to this, and decided to use the time to set-up the poster and read the manual. He plastered the poster on the corner of his room where his other game merchandise were. Except he reserved a spot for it right in the middle of all the posters. Taking the box of tacks on the bookshelf, he carefully positioned it in the middle. Satisfied with his work, he grabbed the memory card inside the box labelled "Instruction Manual" and loaded it on his personal 3D Mobile Pad as he lied down on his bed. Habitually skipping the terms and conditions, Adrian tapped on the links in the table of contents and read through everything he needed to know about installing and running the game. His PC was about on par with best recommended system requirements, he already knew the basics of an MMORPG, he didn't have any epilepsy problems, so on and so forth... Adrian looked up and smiled when his PC said that synchronization was completed. He clicked off his Pad, stood up, and grabbed the MM headset. Before putting it on, he felt a little bit of guilt when he remembered all of the people in that line. But he managed to push away that thought by convincing himself that in a few weeks, about half of the world will own a MAELSTROM and a copy of ToK. With that thought, his excitement returned, and he slowly (and rather shakily)put on the head-set as he fell back down on his bed. He felt his body start to numb as the visuals of the game started to kick in, and he began seeing a beautiful, vast world in the background of floating text... <<WELCOME TO THE THRESHOLD OF KAKOPHONIA>> <<STATE YOUR USERNAME AND RACE>> Adrian always somehow incorporated the word "Winter" into his IGN's (or at least something that had to do with snow or the cold. For a while he thought, and then decided to use the name of a Greek god he read about in history books. He spoke loudly. "Username: Apollo... Winter" He said, pausing for a long while after Apollo to signify a space. <<USERNAME: APOLLO WINTER>> <<CONFIRM?>> The text said. "Confirm" He said in response. The next step was to choose a race. He wasn't all that interested in the Veni Yan (as they struck him as the usual Mage/Magic class in RPG's), and the humans were of course too common. Lastly, he spotted the Nobelle. "A race of small intellectuals with advanced technology? Perfect." He thought as he selected the race and felt himself float through the air as the text and background disappeared, and his avatar materialized in the game world. A mirror appeared before him, and he could see his character in unbelievable realism. He appeared to be a shorter version of himself with pale white skin, big eyes, and white clothing. "Japanese people call this 'Chibi', if I'm not mistaken." He noted. He saw several items laid out on a table before him such as combs, paintbrushes with paint cans, and many more objects that seemed to be geared towards personal grooming. The first thing he did was remove his glasses and throw them away; he didn't need them in the virtual world since his vision was automatically corrected. The next thing he did was grab a paintbrush. He was unsure of what he was supposed to do, but he decided to figure it out as he went along. Dipping the brush into the white paint, he coated the bristles with the viscous liquid. He put the wet brush to his head, and watched as his hair suddenly turned completely white. "Interesting..." He thought. He didn't change much else of his looks, and took one more look at himself at the mirror. "It's amazing how different I look without my glasses, and only a change of hair and skin color." He thought. Satisfied with his appearance, he confirmed it, and began feeling as if he was floating in the air. --- Adrian (or rather, Apollo) found himself on the outskirts of a lively town, not to different from that of the usual fantasy starter zones.He never felt so happy and excited about seeing one before. The first thing he noticed was the Heads-Up Display (containing everything from inventory to options). He wondered if he could minimize it just to increase the immersion. After messing around on the icons, he found that he could. Once the icons were away, he took a look at the countryside landscape. The 2nd thing he saw was the amount of people heading into town and talking with each other. Assuming they weren't NPC's, but actual players who were lucky enough to get a copy as fast as he did, Apollo decided to enter the town and see how other people felt about the new VR game.	IGN - Apollo Winter Nickname - App Age - 18 Gender – Male Persona - Growing up, Adrian Winter was known as the “smart kid”. He had good grades all around, but was never good at socializing. In the real world, he is not great at speaking with others. He is also rather reserved and pacifistic in real life. In the game world however, he finds it easier to speak and make friends with people, and uses his intelligence to concoct battle strategies to hit the enemy where it hurts. He prefers to avoid rushing into a fight, and takes the time to analyze the situation. Because of this, most people call him “App”, because he acts like an application for making battleplans. However, his more complex plans require to be carried out exactly, so if something unexpected happens, Apollo needs time to think of a new one altogether. And time is a rare luxury in Kakophonia. Brief background – Adrian was born to the wealthy Winter Family, the owner of the Winter Group, a large business conglomerate.Despite this, his parents made sure he was never pampered in order to make sure he had a good personality. They wanted him to focus on studies in order to continue the family line. Thus, he was sent to prestigious schools where he followed his parents’ instructions and strived for excellence. Unfortunately, this was at the sacrifice of his social skills, and he had trouble making friends. One because of his looks, and two because of how intimidated people became when they hear that he is the son of the Winter family. Soon afterwards, he was introduced into the world of online games, and Adrian found out that he had an easier time with people online. More so because he could choose to look like anything he wished, and no one knew that he was the next in line for the Winter Group. His parents rewarded his good grades with the online video games he asked for. They also thought it would help with his socialization problems. When the hyped-up VR game: “Threshold of Kakophonia” was released to the public, his parents used their influence to get him one of the first few copies in their area. Upon logging in, their Adrian Winter adopted the virtual persona: Apollo Winter. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Mechanic Profession – N/A Mechanic Skills Base Skill: Hazard Zone (Passive) Causes single target abilities to deal AOE damage. Damage and range scales with that of the ability used. 1/5 - 20% of Skill's damage in a 3-foot diameter 2/5 - 30% of Skill's damage in a 9-foot diameter 3/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 12-foot diameter 4/5 - 50% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter 5/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter with a 30% chance of slowing enemies. Level 1 Skill: Warning Shot (Active) The Mechanic loads a modified shot into the chamber, and fires it into the air above a location. The shot breaks apart into smaller pieces, falling upon and dealing damage to everyone within a 12-foot circle target area. Does less damage than normal attack. Damage output and element depend on type of equipment used. Restricted to Cannon-type and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Deals 20% of normal damage 2/5 - Deals 35% of normal damage 3/5 - Deals 50% of normal damage 4/5 - Deals 65% of normal damage 5/5 - Deals 80% of normal damage Level 5 Skill: Snare Bomb (Active) The Mechanic throws a handheld bomb into the air above a target. The bomb breaks apart to reveal a spiked net that traps the target for a limited time, and deals a small amount of damage. Cannot escape for the duration of the trap. After the time is up, the target can easily struggle out of the net. Cannot be used when wielding heavy guns. Restricted to Pistol-type, Harpoon guns, and Rifle-type weapons. 1/5 - Lasts for 2 seconds. Does 10% of normal damage 2/5 - Lasts for 3 seconds. Does 12% of normal damage 3/5 - Lasts for 4 seconds. Does 14% of normal damage 4/5 - Lasts for 5 seconds. Does 16% of normal damage 5/5 - Lasts for 6 seconds. Does 18% of normal damage Level 10 Skill: Prototype Ammunition (Passive) Using experimental ammunition, the Mechanic is able to do extra damage to targets. However, the ammunition is not very stable, and effectiveness is not guaranteed. Diversity of ammunition increases as this skill is improved. 1/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Rifles and Pistols 2/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Cannons and Missile launchers 3/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Harpoon guns and Flamethrowers 4/5 - +15% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons 5/5 - +20% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons Level 15 Skill:Burst Round (Active) The Mechanic loads a special round into the chamber, and fires directly at a single target. Upon impact, the shot breaks apart into several bullets, and then those bullets burst into pellets upon contact with an object. Main shot does full damage. Bullets and pellets do less and less damage respectively. Mastery changes it from Area of Effect attack, to focusing down on one target. Restricted to Cannon-type, Rifle-type, Pistol-type, and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Main shot: +50% damage. Bullets: -30% damage. Pellets: -50% damage 2/5 - Main shot: +75% damage. Bullets: -25% damage. Pellets: -45% damage 3/5 - Main shot: +100% damage. Bullets: -20% damage. Pellets: -40% damage 4/5 - Main shot: +125% damage. Bullets: -15% damage. Pellets: -35% damage 5/5 - Main shot: +200% damage. Bullets: -40% damage. Pellets: -60% damage Level 20 Skill: Blitzkrieg (Active) The Mechanic tinkers with their weapon, and then loads a special type of ammunition (Depending on the weapon: Shots for guns, fuel for flamethrower, etc.). And then proceeds to fire a barrage of shots at a single target. Low accuracy per shot, but good chance of hitting agile targets due to the number of shots being fired. Weapon becomes unstable for a short period after this, causing it to deal less damage than normal. Weapon slowly becomes more stable as time passes by. Instability lasts for 20 seconds. 1/5 - Maximum of +125% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 2/5 - Maximum of +150% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 3/5 - Maximum of +175% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 4/5 - Maximum of +200% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 5/5 - Maximum of +250% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 85% afterwards
56,003	1,534	6	288	73	There were times she wished she had never left. Wished she had not so forcefully ended the ties that she called meaningful or important to simply move out of the slump she had found herself in. It was cowardly, a last ditch effort to run away from the person she had so helplessly become over the years. Maybe there was another way, she kept telling herself, someway to have stayed on that island and still move forward in life. To be with them and be happy. Every time she told herself that, a part of her wanted to laugh because she knew the truth. There was no happy ending for her there. The tea kettle whistled violently, demanding to be spared the agonizing pain of having to hear this dull narrative again. Naomi simply scoffed and removed the ungrateful hunk of metal from the old gas stove, before pouring herself a cup of tea. The light of dawn peaked in from the cute kitchen window, silently lighting up the small personal kitchen. It was as beautiful as it was depressing. She sat down on a beaten stool near the counter, placing her cup down on some papers that her brother had left on the counter this morning. The brunette sighed as her fingers circled the rim of the cheap Chinese cup. Were detectives always so messy? Her eyes danced around the kitchen. What was probably once joyful bright orange paint was now dull and faded, peeling as if the walls themselves rejected their shameful coat. The cupboards were loose, or more appropriately loosening. Papers! She slumped over on the counter. Don't get her started about the papers! There were papers everywhere. All over the floor, under the sink, tacked onto walls... Once she had so uncharacteristically made the attempt to clean them up and he walked in, oh boy did he lose it. Point given... Not lifting her head, she looked solemnly out the window at the wispy clouds that now covered the sun. ...the whole place screamed neglect. Naomi took a deep breath. ...and neglect smelled lonely. The red framed clock that hung over head mocked her, each second repeating the same sad note of the statement she had just made in her head. What else did neglect smell like? Happiness? Turning the other cheek, the Japanese girl closed her eyes. She tried so hard to wake up early in order to catch him before he left. She wanted to have meat tonight. Beef, chicken, lamb...anything really. She remembered the sizzling sound of three 12 ounce pieces of beef tenderloins, the beautiful antique china, and their three combined laughter under an expensive chandelier. It had been a eleven months since she left and three days since she's talked to either of them... …when her consciousness began to drift, the brunette helplessly struggled against her heavy eyelids. They were calling to her; fond memories and sweet dreams. Temptation wrestled her into submission, and with that her mind and heart drifted away from the small messy kitchen. The clock struck six; its gentle tones echoed through the empty house on that fine brisk fall morning. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ “Hey, you wouldn't have any idea why this was in the mail would you?” Replacing the deep, slow voice was the sound of a plastic rustling against paper. A container of some sort. Slowly opening one eye wondering if this was some sort of bait, Naomi found herself staring at some machine dragon barring its fang against some sort of knight. Opening both eyes, she slowly reached for the box that was placed in front of her. The English characters came slowly as the girl attempted to read the pop out text that she assumed was the title. “T-Thresholud of Kaako...phonea.” The box was quickly and smoothly taken from her fingers. The tall figure set down a box of take out in front of her before leaning against the counter and casting her a tired smile. “Threshold of Kakophonia, it's the new virtual reality game. People were raving, so I decided to hop on the bandwagon as well. Didn't know I would have a copy delivered to the house.” Holding up the foreign copy, the man examined them closely, but seemed to have absolutely no interest. “Apparently time goes by five times faster in the game, but it still feels like real time of course. I thought it could help me catch up on sleep or think over my cases.” Naomi opened the plastic foam box to find a somewhat wet cheese burger surrounded by a mix of french fries, tots, and onion rings. Popping a handful of tots in her mouth, she wiped her fingers on her jeans before taking the game from her brothers hand. "So any idea?" he asked again. “Do we even have this MAELSTROM console?” she muttered, walking out of the small kitchen. “Living room, all plugged in and ready to go,” he answered, hanging up his coat as he yawned, “Planning on taking it for a spin?” “Don't want you wasting money.” “Then eat the burger.” Lying down, she reached for the headset-visor before carefully sliding it on. “You have it. Take this too.” With a swift gesture, she slid the unopened copy of the game to where he stood before giving him a playful grin. “See you on the other side?” She heard him sigh. Then for a single second, reality crumbled and peace swept over the girl. There was pure brightness that seemed to illuminate the dark corridors of her uncharted soul. There was a pause in life. A beautiful silence and tranquil stillness which, as fast as it had come, silently and quickly slipped away. <<WELCOME TO THE THRESHOLD OF KAKOPHONIA>> <<STATE YOUR USERNAME AND RACE>> She paused for a second. “Username: K-A-N-A-M-I.” <<PLEASE SELECT RACE>> A mirror appeared before her. <<VENI YAN>> Amazement swept her. Standing there, she watched the tattooed figure stare back with bewilderment. It took a few moments for her to recognize that the wild eyed, spirited girl before her was none other than herself. Very...rustic. Giving herself a quick spin, she struck a pose before smiling daringly at the mirror. It was too lively. What was she in natural terms? A nymph? “I'll pass.” <<HUMAN>> A reasonable choice. She stretched side to side, watching the dynamics of her human counterpart. Her skin tone was slightly darker in the reflection, not to mention she felt somewhat older. She had a hard time telling whether she liked it or hated it. Giving the reflection an annoyed look, she struck an aggressive pose before dishing herself a high kick. “What else?” <<NOBELLE>> She felt her heart skip a beat. Starring at her was a beautiful figure with the fairest complexion she had ever seen. There was a softness that was unattainable by normal means. A purity that escaped the tragedies of reality. For a second she felt her entire body quiver in anticipation. The figure stared at her with pure admiration, the eyes lacked detail and life but they were hauntingly vivid. Naomi closed her eyes and took in a deep breath of air. The figure smiled and her eyes lit up as if there was not a thing wrong with this world. Naomi spied the small comb at the corner of her vision. The game, as if understanding her desire, presented her with a sea of cosmetics dyes and packages. Her hands silently went to work. Shorter hair, a lavender dye, cyan blue eyes, more detail on the eyes, more, more... Everything was perfect. If the original Nobelle representation was a childish, pure version of herself then... The figure's cold emotionless glare frightened her. There before her stood Kanami, who's cold eyes and locked heart seemed to give no opening, no weakness, and no sign of regret or anticipation. She was the knight, the dragon, the beast that guarded the innocent girl who locked deep within the confines of her own heart. “...CLASS: Nobelle” __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The smell of grass was strange. The air was anything but clean, instead it was rather congested with the smell of...life? Nature? Loss for words to describe the scent, Kanami opened her eyes for the first time. Interest seized her as she began to move slowly, each step into a world that seemed to be tethered down by a single string. There was no fear or confusion in her step, just a type of confidence that could be defined as rash stupidity or courageous disregard. Pacing slowly, but surely forward, Kanami outstretched her arms letting both her hands brush against the wheat the danced on either side of her. It was magnificent. Beautiful. Striking. Bold. Lovely... There was no sense of gaming. The feelings she felt, the air she breathed, the thoughts she thought were all real for the first time. For a brief moment in time as the girl unknowingly and silently danced towards town, Threshold of Kakophonia had become reality.	Theme (Do not click Vewyx or Anderiel) IGN(In-Game-Name) – Kanami Nickname – - Age - 19 Gender - Female Persona – Kanami can be self bashing one moment and quiet, and completely out her mind sadistic and playful the next. She can hold a conversation with herself, but does enjoy company. If she should find anything and get attached to it, obsession tends to ensue. It's hard to truly describe Naomi's personality when she plays as Kanami, one has to just simply take it for what it is at the given moment and time. Brief Background – Naomi was born on a sweet and warm Autumn day in a nice small hospital situated in quiet small town near a coastal city in Japan to an happily married couple. She was a second child; the first was a boy who was ten years older than her named Kyousuke. Naomi use to have the smallest and brightest smile, one that would make strangers heart quiver and want to give her things or make her parents want to spoil her with hugs and kisses. It was the smile she wore when she first attended primary school, when she first held a daito and shoto, and when she first kissed a boy on the cheek. It was also the smile she plastered on her face when her father divorced her mother, when she was alone at home while her mother worked, and when they had to sell their house and move to the city. After a while the smiling just become too hard, so she stopped. Once she stopped smiling, people walked away and left her alone to her silence. She began smoking, getting into fights, cutting class, and well, filling in. Her mother scolded her, and she talked back until one day her mother decided to walk out. Apparently not watching your daughter was better than watching her destroy herself. By the time she entered Chiharu High School she was a 5' 10, fairly good looking, chain smoking delinquent who kept to herself and earned a rogue status. She was still a girl of course and girls her age needed money, so she juggled jobs. She also unknowingly itched for company. That's when she met him. He was an idiot. A smooth, smart, and kind idiot. He also had a nice umbrella. He was good with women, and even better at handling shinais. What she remembers of him were fond things. She remembered his sisters. She remembered Kendo. She remembered lying to herself. She remembered how she longed for his attention with a desperation that had almost pulled her back into her solemn self that he had saved her from. She also remembered her. A foreigner who was a brilliant blonde, with a caring and strong personality. Her hair smelled like wealth, if wealth had a smell. She was a light drinker. She was so sweet and loving under that tough exterior. Naomi envied her at times. She also had a brother. She would have sworn he was a gigolo if they weren't so well off. He was very handsome however, the “epitome” of masculinity. The three of them were club mates before they were friends. They drank illegally, challenged artery clogging food challenges and fought for nationals. Naomi was happy. Time passed. Things changed. Life moved on, and so did she. Weeks after graduation she had decided to leave Japan and head to the states to live with her brother. Despite the blonde's pleas and how she could help her financially, Naomi decided it was best to move. At the airport she kissed her farewell and exchanged an awkward hug from him. E-mails were exchanged, along with parting gifts and promises to keep in touch. Naomi wished them well. They wished her well. And like that, she left. Naomi moved to the United States after graduating from Chiharu High School, living with her brother who was a police detective. He didn't make much money, but that didn't really matter. Kyousuke had a tough time connecting to his delinquent younger sister, but he did. Naomi's lack of direction in life and overall stern personality was turned into inspiration by Kyousuke to get Naomi training to become a police officer. Naomi, who was reluctant to the idea at first, eventually warmed up to it. She didn't want to work for the state or government, so she had the idea that perhaps she could set up a private security company (she would still have to work for the government to begin with of course). It was an idea that finally gave purpose to Naomi's life. It was through her pursuit of her dream that she met virtual reality. It gave her opportunities to practice fire arms and combat without actually battering her body, not that she mind of course. Paring this along with actual training given to her by her brother and his coworkers, Naomi slowly snaked the path of life. The VRMMORPG hype had caught her interest. Seeing how it had combat, and this time with real people, Naomi was interested, and to her surprise, found a copy of the game in her mailbox the day of its release (she had a good idea who it was from). Did it live up to the hype? No. Was it worth it? She thought so. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Race – Nobelle Class - Augmentor Profession – - Skills – Base Skill: Reactor (Passive) The Augmentor's power stems from burst damage and short cooldowns. With each additional Reactor installation the Augmentor trades over pieces of it's humanity in attempt to achieve power and strength that rivals God Each auto attack or skill cast will reduce all cooldowns by a set amount, except for the last two skills used (passives with cooldowns don't count as used skills) When overclocked, cooldown reduction from this passive is doubled. (1/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by .2 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (2/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by .4 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (3/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by .6 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (4/5) Each attack/skill deceases all cooldowns by .8 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (5/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by 1 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) Active Skill Level 1: Brute Force (Active) The Augmentor's strength is immense making it able to crush the enemy with reality shattering blows, each one stronger than the last Upon activation the Augmentor's next five attacks gain additional damage and stuns the target. On Overclocking Brute Force gains the additional ability to increase the damage of consecutive spells cast by a certain percentage. Cooldown starts after the 5th hit is delivered. Durations: Five attacks. On Overclock Five attacks/spells. Cooldown: 10 seconds at all ranks. (1/5) 2.5% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .2 seconds. On Overclock: 1.25% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (2/5) 5% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .4 seconds. On Overclock: 2.5% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (3/5) 10% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .6 seconds. On Overclock: 5% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (4/5) 15% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .8 seconds. On Overclock: 7.5% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (5/5) 30% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for 1 second. On Overclock: 15% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. Active Skill Level 5: Ch@rged Up!/ Bre@k Down! (Active) The Augmentor's ability to surge objects with immense amounts of energy makes finding a temporarily weapon extremely easy. Sadly, there has yet to be a weapon that can withstand the amount of energy the Augmentor is capable of feeding, most tend to blow up on it. The Augmentor longs for a weapon that can live up to it's potential. Upon activation the Augmentor powers up the currently equipped weapon, effectively increasing it's base stats by a percentage. The weapon's durability permanently decreases by 10%. The weapon cannot be destroyed while Charged Up! is active. If the weapon is destroyed after use, % of the damage dealt by the weapon is released as true damage to all targets in the radius, including the caster (Bre@k Down!). When overclocked Ch@rged Up! deals percentage of the enemy's missing HP and heals her half the amount as oppose to receiving additional stat increases and blowing up. Duration: 10/15/20/25/30 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds at all ranks. (1/5) 5% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 10% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 1% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (2/5) 10% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 20% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 2% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (3/5) 15% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 30% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 3% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (4/5) 20% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 40% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 4% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (5/5) 25% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 50% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 5% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. Toggle Active Skill Level 10: High Fusion (Melee) Able to fuse weapons together with relative ease, the Augmentor never enters or leaves a fight with the same weapon. Upon activation the Augmentor fuses the weapon in the quick slot (disabling the quick slot) with the currently equipped weapon, creating a new type of weapon as well as granting bonus on hit effects depending on the combination. Once deactivated the weapons will split apart and the quick equip slot will once again be available. When overclocked the Augmentor is still able to use the quick slot. (1/5) All Combination Bonus: 2% increase in damage. (2/5) All Combination Bonus: 4% increase in damage. 2% increase in attack speed. (3/5) All Combination Bonus: 6% increase in damage. 4% increase in attack speed. (4/5) All Combination Bonus: 8% increase in damage. 6% increase in attack speed. (5/5) All Combination Bonus: 10% increase in damage. 8% increase in attack speed. Passive Skill Level 15: Emergency Restore Surviving is a part of perfection as well... If the Augmentor falls below 20% HP, a percentage of the Augmentor's missing HP is restored immediately and half the percentage is also restored over 10 seconds. The Augmentor is not allowed to activate any new skills during this time. When overclocked, cooldown is halved and healing is doubled. Cooldown: 300 seconds. (1/5) 20% instantly restored, additional 1% restored every second for 10 seconds. (2/5) 25% instantly restored, additional 1.25% restored every second for 10 seconds. (3/5) 30% instantly restored, additional 1.5% restored every second for 10 seconds. (4/5) 35% instantly restored, additional 1.75% restored every second for 10 seconds. (5/5) 40% instantly restored, additional 2% restored every second for 10 seconds. Active Skill Level 20: Knight/Queen/King's Core The Augmentor's key to survival is the Core, granting it the ability to adapt to any situation. Able to power up the Augmentor in ways unimaginable to even the most imaginative minds, the Augmentor lives day to day attempting to find upgrades and expansions to it's core. While there are many different types of Core upgrades to discover, they are often, by far, the rarest and strongest resources that an Augmentor would hope to discover. Upon activation the Augmentor can access one of three core upgrades. King's Core allows the Augmentor's to throw out three spells/attacks that deals an additional % increase in damage, healing the Augmentor for a percentage of the damage dealt. Queen's Core allows the Augmentor to resist, dispell, and deflect any sort of debuff for a set duration. Knight's Core allows the Augmentor to become impervious to damage for a set time frame, absorbing the damage that would have been dealt to form a shield. Can use only 1 core at once. Other two cores have to be used before the same core can be used again. When overclocked, two cores can be used at once. Cooldown: 1200 seconds (1/5) King's Core: 50% additional damage. Queen's Core: 1 second. Knight's core: .5 seconds, 2.5% damage absorbed as shield (2/5) King's Core: 70% additional damage. Queen's Core: 2 second. Knight's core: 1 seconds, 5% damage absorbed as shield (3/5) King's Core: 90% additional damage. Queen's Core: 3 second. Knight's core: 1.5 seconds, 10% damage absorbed as shield (4/5) King's Core: 110% additional damage. Queen's Core: 4 second. Knight's core: 2 seconds, 15% damage absorbed as shield (5/5) King's Core: 130% additional damage. Queen's Core: 5 second. Knight's core: 2.5 seconds, 20% damage absorbed as shield.
56,004	1,534	7	1,215	472	“I’m back.” His deep voice echoed from the front door as the young man closed it behind himself. A female arm lazily rose up from the couch and waved. A high pitched, airy, but recognizable male voice answered. “Welcome home, son! I just started dinner; tonight we are having stir-fried beef with broccoli with a side of white rice,” he put extra emphasis on the word white, which garnered a thumbs up from the woman on the couch. The young man started untying his shoes as the aroma from the mentioned dinner reached the front door again. He picked up his shoes once they were off and started towards his room, but not without a word to the silent woman lounging on the couch, bottle in hand and book spread on face. “Mom, you know Dad doesn’t like it when you drink on the couch,” he warned offhandedly. The mother’s free hand grabbed the book and slid it off of her face, revealing a terrifying grimace from a face that looks quite a bit like that of a criminal’s, even if it was bright red. Like mother like son, one could say. She opened her mouth to speak but immediately shut it, rolled off the couch, and sprinted towards the bathroom with her hands pressed tightly against her shut lips. The young man watched her for a moment, and then sighed as he set his bag down and went to work cleaning up the mess she left behind. Continuing on towards his room, bag in hand, he bumped into the second obstacle barring his path. Even if he considered himself tall, this girl that stood in front of him was nearly half his size. Unlike him and his mother, she was lucky enough to gain her small, cute face from her father. A flash of excitement touched her eyes but she quickly forced a serious expression and smirked. “Thank goodness you came back, brother. I was just getting ready to go get you myself,” she said calmly in her squeaky voice. “I was afraid that you’d have been captured to get to me, but you obviously fought them off didn’t you? No one can beat the brother of the famous Mia, after all,” she was looking over her shoulder with a confident smile when she spoke. He had already grown used to this behavior, despite always trying to bring her back to reality. “You shouldn’t pretend to be some hero like all those Japanese anime you watch,” he responded, a slight hint of irritation in his voice. “Hah?!” “Don’t ‘hah’ me. You should give it up and try living in reality again.” She made some strange noises, like she was trying to say something but couldn’t. The young man walked around her as she stood angrily in place. He reached for the doorknob but a jump tackle shoved him hard into the door. He managed to keep his bag, the whole reason for his absence, from hitting the wall. She started punching him, though her flurry of swings felt more like a bunch of rubber balls bouncing off of him. “What are you-” He started, but was quickly interrupted by his sister. “You are the one who should live in reality, Viktor!” She cried out as a small fist pressed hard into his back, though she suddenly became aware of herself breaking character. “B-brother.” The man silently pulled her hand away from him, frowning. “You always play games alone in your room. It’s creepy. Why don’t you hang out with some friends?” “I’m playing with friends. Why else would I play online?” He retorted, mildly irritated. He held up his bag and continued, “It’s the reason why I’m going to play right now.” “No girl is going to like a gaming otaku like you.” “No boy is going to like an anime nut like you.” “You don’t know that!” She yelped, her small face bright red. He shook his head, reminding himself that he has a friend waiting for him in game and is already late enough with his detour. She stuck her tongue out with an audible (and obnoxious) hum when he opened his door. He turned around quickly and opened his mouth, but she was already running away to the safety of one of their parents. He sighed angrily and closed his door. Finally home. Finally alone. Finally able to play. It was strange, though: he thought he’d be more excited for the game. Instead, he just felt tired. Deeming the origin of his weariness as from waiting outside for three days and taking a few detours just to get back home, he still wanted to play it really badly. He reached into the bag and pulled out the console. The MAELSTROM; he still found it funny that they made an entire system just for one game, but perhaps that’s what it takes for a virtual reality. A quick scan of the manual and a brief wait for the console to sync was all took to be able to enter a new world. The chime from the console gave him a newfound energy, and before he knew it he had visor firmly on his head and he was lying on his bed. His breath was heavy, excitement quickly droning out the sounds around him until all he heard was the pumping of his heart and the ambience of the game. <<WELCOME TO THE THRESHOLD OF KAKOPHONIA>> <<STATE YOUR USERNAME AND RACE>> That was… different. Usually a MMORPG asks for someone to create a username, but this one asked him to state it. Amusing! A smile stretched across his face. And he just so happened to have one ready. “Username: O. H. K. A.” he stated loudly and clearly. As for race, it was another obvious answer. Both the Nobelle and Veni Yan look interesting (though he stifled a laugh when he saw his avatar in a Nobelle form) he was sure that his friends would pick them. Plus, he was always a human in online games. It was strangely comfortable for him. And, in a type of game that few have ever played before, it is best to play comfortably, right? “Race: Human.” He started to get ready to choose a race when a blinding flash flooded his world with white. He winced and held up his hands to block the light. As it died down, he could hear murmurs and whispers all around him. He lowered his hands and saw a flood of color spinning in place, slowly snapping into shapes, and then objects. The sounds got clearer and clearer. Talking. Laughing and excitement. He felt his weight slowly come back, his feet starting to press against the ground. He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly. A goofy grin forced itself on his face when he discovered that he could taste the air, feel the breeze and grass. He quickly looked to the ground, half laughing out of excitement and half exhaling to calm himself. Once he was adequately able to contain his excitement and happiness, he remembered that he was supposed to meet up with his friends at the nearest town. He quickly glanced around and discovered that he was standing just a few hundred feet from one which had people flooding in and out. That must be it. He decided to take a leisurely pace so that he could go over the basics for his User Interface before he got there. Surely it couldn’t be too much different from a normal MMO game, right? Quickly discovering that the arrow closed and opened the UI, he started with the Options first. It was a habit of his to examine the options of a game before he started to actually play it. His only problem was that he was already in town by the time he finished studying the Options.	IGN(In-Game Name) – Ohka Nickname – None Age – 19 Gender – Male Persona – Ohka is, frankly, an overly aggressive and violent person who tries to mean well. Although his favorite type of game is cooperative and he loves helping out, he often gets into trouble both online and off thanks to his confrontational behavior. He looks at ToK as a new start; not wanting to solo alone or be an outcast again, he has been working hard (in the mirror) at holding down his normally forceful disposition. Fortunately, he seems to have found a way to divert his hostile disposition into more constructive practices. Unfortunately, he hasn't tested it out on people yet. Brief Background – Ohka has been playing games ever since he could remember. It was an outlet for frustration and a center of enjoyment, yet it also allowed him to connect with people he had trouble with by himself. He was always a little ball of trouble, always energetic and extremely headstrong. Eventually it was discovered that he fought and argued for the sake of fighting, and physical exertion was thrilling to him. It's no wonder that he started attracting around more unsavory groups. However, ironically, he was actually a good kid with good marks on his tests and ambition to be a lawyer. Unfortunately, everything that came out of his mouth was wrong, how he moved his body was automatic, how he looked to others was cruel. Only a select few people could see past his aggressive behavior and see his more kind side, no matter how many times he denies it with a flushed face. One of his closer friends that he hung out with frequently introduced him to ToK. Though he had problems with MMOs before, most notably fighting other players that ended in PKs and bans all around, he was willing to try whatever his friend thought would be a good fit for him. He quickly got hooked on the game's hype and even bought some merchandise, some of which garnered some curious looks from other people much to his chagrin. Half dragged and half eagerly following his friend's lead, he was made to wait in a line 3 days before its release. When it finally was released and it was his turn to order, he suddenly remembered about a recent friend he made and how he did not see her talking to anyone other than himself. Before he knew it, he was walking out of the store with two of the same games in hand. His friend noted his second purchase and Ohka quickly explained that it was in case he broke the first one. Though his friend dropped the subject, when they both parted Ohka headed in a direction other than his house. One could swear that a faint smile took the place of his usually mean expression. To learn more details of his life, one would either have to be a really good friend or really, really, really persuasive (and pushy). --- Race – Human Class – Warrior Profession – None Base Passive – Hyper Tension The Warrior unlocks a boost to their physical prowess when they feel the rush of danger and crisis. At lowered health, the Warrior gains a bonus to their attack and defense proportional to the health they have lost, though the boons only start at when they are at half of their maximum health. 1/5 – Gain a 1% damage and defense bonus for every 2% of HP (starting at 50%) missing, up to a maximum of a 24% increase (25% at <1% HP). 2/5 – Gain a 1% damage and defense bonus for every 1% of HP (starting at 52%) missing, up to a maximum of a 51% increase (52% at <1% HP). 3/5 – Gain a 3% damage and defense bonus for every 2% of HP (starting at 55%) missing, up to a maximum of a 81% increase (82% at <1% HP). 4/5 – Gain a 2% damage and defense bonus for every 1% of HP (starting at 57%) missing, up to a maximum of a 113% increase (114% at <1% HP). 5/5 – Gain a 5% damage and defense bonus for every 2% of HP (starting at 60%) missing, up to a maximum of a 149% increase (150% at <1% HP). Lvl 1 Active – Challenge A special taunt that does no damage, however the afflicted enemy targets only the warrior who utilized Challenge. This enemy will not be aggroed by anyone else for as long as this is active. 1/5 – Lasts 10 seconds. 30 second cooldown. 2/5 – Lasts 15 seconds. 30 second cooldown. 3/5 – Can be performed on two enemies before cooldown. Lasts 20 seconds. 25 second cooldown. 4/5 – Can be performed on two enemies before cooldown. Lasts 25 seconds. 25 second cooldown. 5/5 – Can be performed on three enemies before cooldown. Last 30 seconds. 20 second cooldown. Lvl 5 Active – Bloodlust The Warrior enters a frenzy in which they use their own health instead of their ki to perform techniques. In addition, the techniques have a lower cost than they normally would and they gain a small amount of health upon killing enemies. Automatically deactivates when HP is less than 10% of maximum or there are no enemies. When deactivated, a cooldown of 90 seconds takes place. 1/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 60% cost 2/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 55% cost, 2% health regained when an enemy is slain 3/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 50% cost, 4% health regained when an enemy is slain 4/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 45% cost, 6% health regained when an enemy is slain 5/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 40% cost, 8% health regained when an enemy is slain Lvl 10 Active – Guillotine The warrior leaps at an enemy and inflicts major damage to a single enemy. If the enemy is killed by this move, it has no cooldown. 1/5 – 4 feet range, 30 second cooldown 2/5 – 7 feet range, 25 second cooldown 3/5 – 10 feet range, 20 second cooldown 4/5 – 15 feet range, 15 second cooldown 5/5 – 20 feet range, 10 second cooldown Lvl 15 Active – Berserk The Warrior enters a frenzied state, dramatically increasing their offense strength and attack speed for a short time. Battle fatigue takes its toll afterwards during the 20 second cooldown, reducing their speed and attack during the duration. 1/5 – Warrior gains +20% physical strength and attack speed for 10 seconds; suffers -15% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 2/5 – Warrior gains +30% physical strength and attack speed for 15 seconds; suffers -20% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 3/5 – Warrior gains +40% physical strength and attack speed for 20 seconds; suffers -25% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 4/5 – Warrior gains +50% physical strength and attack speed for 30 seconds; suffers -30% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 5/5 – Warrior gains +120% physical strength and attack speed for 12 seconds; suffers -60% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. Cooldown duration doubled. Lvl 20 Passive - Battle Frenzy The Warrior dances to the song of battle, a bloodthirsty technique that creates an intimidating aura that only grows the longer they fight. It only activates once the warrior enters a certain flow in the battle, but he must be vigilant to stay in that flow: even 2 seconds of not attacking that enemy, whether the warrior stopped to use an item or technique or was hit, immediately disenchants them and they must begin anew. 1/5 – Activates after 2 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 1 second stun when hit, 1% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 20% max. (20 hits for full benefit) 2/5 – Activates after 2 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.8 second stun when hit, 2% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 50% max. (25 hits for full benefit) 3/5 – Activates after 3 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.7 second stun when hit, 2.5% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 75% max. (30 hits for full benefit) 4/5 – Activates after 3 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.6 second stun when hit, 3% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 150% max. (50 hits for full benefit) 5/5 – Activates after 5 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.5 second stun when hit, 4% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 300% max. (75 hits for full benefit) --- V.2 edit: Shaved off two years in his age so it isn't as difficult to juggle job (hunting) and gaming. (I know it too well) V.3 edit: Changed Battle Frenzy from crowd control to duel. Not enough reward to put your points into originally. Also reworded Bloodlust. V.4 edit: More fixings upon the illusive things called words. Boosted Guillotines 3/5, 4/5, and 5/5 ranges. V.5 edit: Typo fixing. Renamed Unleashed Instinct to Hyper Tension, "because it sounds hyper-strong." V.6 edit: Berserk 4/5 and 5/5 changed. 4/5 is longer term with smaller advantages and consequences, 5/5 is shorter term with higher advantages and consequences and longer cooldown. V.7 edit: Boost to Hyper Tension and Bloodlust. Added cooldown to Bloodlust. V.8 edit: Would you like some Dere with that Tsun?
56,005	1,534	8	130	423	Post deleted.	IGN(In-Game Name) – Amai Nickname – Emi Age – 17 Gender – Female Persona – Amai is a very shy girl, her preferred form of communication with people is without physical contact. Often staying away from things like voice or video chat, preferring text communication more than anything. Though in retrospect, when she does communicate with people indirectly she seems like a cheerful girl, sounding upbeat and completely different. What would draw such a girl towards the VRMMO you might ask, well the answer is simple, peer pressure. With a girl who is shy within the common world, friends are indeed hard to make, so as they progressed she would need to keep up. And as they saw this rising star of a game arise, they believed it was time to move on from their old dreary mmo onto something new. The transition would be hard, and Amai is nervous- but we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Brief Background – At the age of seven, Amai was first introduced to online gaming as her mother screamed into her headset playing the popular MMO of her time Underworld Online at her work desk. As the little girl tugged at her mother’s sleeve for attention, the woman was too entranced by the battle she had been facing to noticed. Rather than get upset or cry, the young Amai was awed of the determined expression on her mother’s face. The following year, Amai asked for her own computer as a birthday present and in that year she played the same game as her mother, learning the basics and striving for greatness. She played the game religiously throughout her younger years, and by her last year of middle school she was in a top tier raiding guild. But the game she had gotten so good at was now many years old, even her mother had quit it to focus more on work. Though her guild lived on, flocking from one game to another until they found one they liked. They settled on Seven Blades, an action-combat mmo for a couple years, but then ToK was released. It was a VRMMO, something Amai had never tried before, it was scary but all of her friends were moving on. She didn’t want to be left behind, so along with the many who lifted anchor for this game- she started anew to defeat this games challenges like the rest. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Alchemist Profession – Will be added when chosen through RP. Alchemist Skills Anima – Stone The circle Anima is created giving life to that which the transmutation circle is written upon. Stone allows the Alchemist to summon force a stone golem that will serve the alchemist as a protector. Anima lingers until the transmutation circle is destroyed or the Alchemist is defeated in battle. 1/5 - Stone 2/5 - Granite 3/5 - Obsidian 4/5 - Mechanical 5/5 - Archon - Lvl Scales with Caster The stone golem's benefit to the party is off-tank capabilities and additional melee damage. They have above average health for a level 20 monster and are surprising tanky to support this. Stone Golems are silent and emotionless and obey only the alchemist's commands, though it is unknown what happens if the alchemist is defeated while a golem is still active. will do others as they come to play Aquas - Shower The transmutation circle Aquas is created, causing the ally it is cast upon to regain health per second as rain pours from the sky above them. The regenerative waters will continue to fall upon the targeted ally until 10% of their health has been regained from this ability, furthermore a puddle will be created under the allies' feet and will be left behind for 15 seconds, allies that pass through this puddle will be granted a small magic resistance increase for 5 seconds. 1/5 - 10% of Health cap to healing 2% every second for 5 seconds. 2/5 - 15% of Health cap to healing 3% every second for 5 seconds. 3/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 4% every second for 5 seconds. 4/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 5% every second for 4 seconds. 5/5 - Puddles created by Aquas now grant increased magic resistance for 10 seconds. Overclock* Increases all healing done by 10% for ten seconds, if a spell is not cast within the duration the Alchemist will be able to recast this spell again without triggering it's cooldown. Overclock* Deals increased damage inevitably. Frigoris – Glaciate The transmutation circle Frigoris is created, causing the surface it is written upon to slowly begin to freeze. Glaciate deals even damage regardless of the transmutation circle's time being created, though will do increased damage if another circle takes it's place causing an effect called Ice Rupture. Ice Rupture removes all freezing effects from enemies though dealing high damage beforehand. Frigoris will stay on it's destinaton until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Slow reduction of 2% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 2/5 - Slow reduction of 4% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 3/5 - Slow reduction of 5% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 4/5 - Ice Rupture no longer removes Freeze Effect. 5/5 - Increase damage to Ice Rupture. Overclock * Roots opponent to ground in ice for 2 seconds. Can only occur once. Tempesta – Tranquility The transmutation circle Tempesta is created, causing the surface it is written upon to grant all nearby allies a strengthening boon increasing movement speed and healing five health points every three seconds for thirty seconds. Upon it's completion the transmutation circle will vanish, Tempesta does not linger. 1/5 - Movement speed increased by 5% healing of 5% health per 3 seconds. 2/5 - Movement speed increased by 7% healing of 7% health per 3 seconds. 3/5 - Movement speed increased by 10% healing of 12% health per 3 seconds. 4/5 - Tranquility heals all party members for 10% of health on activation. 5/5 - Movement speed increased by 20% healing of 30% health per 3 seconds. Overclock* Refreshes cooldowns of nearby allies. Ignem – Smolder The transmutation circle Ignem is created causing the surface it is written upon to heat up quickly and weaken it's physical defenses by 10%. Additionally, if another Ignem spell is used in succession to Smolder the effects will last for 5 seconds afterwards. Ignem lingers on it's destination until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Duration 3 Seconds 2/5 - Duration 4 Seconds 3/5 - Duration 5 Seconds 4/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. 5/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. Overclock* Decreases enemy fire resistance. Philosopher's Stone: Active Philosopher's Stone allows the Alchemist to create 'huzzah' a Philosopher's Stone. It is an on use consumed item that stores a transmutation circle allowing one to be summoned quickly and without triggering any cooldowns. Once the item is consumed another can be created in twenty-four hours, and only a single Philosopher's Stone may be in the player's possession at a time. 1/5 - 24 Hour Cooldown + 30 Second Cast Time 2/5 - 12 Hour Cooldown + 15 Second Cast Time 3/5 - 6 Hour Cooldown + 7.5 Second Cast Time 4/5 - 3 Hour Cooldown + 3.75 Second Cast Time 5/5 - 1 Hour Cooldown + Instant Cast Time.
56,006	1,534	9	763	2,065	<<WELCOME TO THE THRESHOLD OF KAKOPHONIA>> The world was first bright, so bright that the pale-skinned girl could barely see anything. Then, as the light faded, there was simply utter, complete darkness, with the only thing visible being the words that welcomed her to this new world. No, 'threshold' meant entrance. This, then, would be the gateway to Kakophonia, which is what the 'world' in the game must be called. She smiled at this overanalysis then. Her excitement had cooled down, giving way to contentment. Now that she was in the game and time has slowed five times over, she could afford to take it easy. <<STATE YOUR USERNAME AND RACE>> The next prompt came up, asking for username and race. It made sense, how there wasn't a password function. No doubt MAELSTROM read the brainwaves of others, making a security system that was many times harder to hack than an alphanumerical sequence. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took in a deep breath, and then made her decision. No, not make her decision. Simply go through with the decision that she had already made two weeks ago. With the decisiveness that made her such a good sports player before she got bored of it, Liliz cleared her virtual throat, ignored the 'error' message that popped up, and said, “L. I. L. I. Z. Human.” Liliz, the human warrior. No cosmetic changes, other than her manually changing her hairstyle. With everything confirmed, the world went black once more, and the girl, Liliz, felt a certain sense of vertigo, before there was the distinct sense of hitting something. And then, she opened her eyes. <<Welcome to Windswept Oasis>> <<The First Hope-Filled Step>> <<Population: 2941>> It was beautiful. The world that did not exist, before her eyes. The air was dry, wind blowing over the prairie on the cliff she had spawned upon, her vantage point giving her a splendid view of the shimmering lake and the peaceful atmosphere that the town exuded. It was almost shockingly quiet, a tranquil atmosphere filled only with bird song and wind whispers. In the shade of the tree, Liliz sighed, utterly relaxed. She couldn't hear the sound of construction in the distance. She couldn't hear the incessant chatter of crowds. She couldn't hear the endless whirring of fans. An uncharacteristic, lovely quietness. And then, after that three minutes of pure, utter relaxation, the girl began to look around. Her 'character' was basically herself, with the only change being that she had a different hairstyle so her identity in real life might not be compromised as easily. She wanted Ren to become familiar with this face, but at the same time, she didn't want him to be able to straight up KNOW who she was. That'd be embarrassing, after all. Leaning backwards until she could touch the moist earth with the tups of her fingers, she sprung herself back up, did a few stretches, and finally opened her mouth to try speaking. “Hello.” For a moment, she couldn't even recognize that voice, turning around to see if someone else nearby had spoken. It was a steady, yet chipper tone, one that belonged to a girl who wasn't slowly losing her motivation to go on. It was the voice of a girl who had found reasons to live, reasons to move, reasons to run once more. It was...an amazing feeling. Life. Right now, she was filled to the brim with it. Bounding up and down, warming up her legs in a manner that she hadn't done ever since she quit track-and-field, Liliz, a large, sunny smile on her face, ran down the hill, towards the town of Windswept Oasis to find people to talk to, people to help, people who shared the same elation as her own. That day, Liliz's gray eyes, normally dull, shone like quicksilver. Above her, the endless blue sky finally looked beautiful.	Nickname – Lily Age - 15 Gender - Female Description – Liliz was not someone who originally played MMOs. Even with all those exciting gaming developments stretching around her, she was the type of person who just couldn't see the point in it. Virtual reality may be realistic, but in the end, it wasn't a 'real' world. Honestly, she couldn't find any interest in doing such things, and that girl has a muted interested in game related things. A loud-mouthed individual who's full of criticism, Liliz enjoys sports and camping, even when the only forests left on Earth were government-protected national parks. She likes challenges, and is obssessed with the world that once was, the world where there were still hidden things. Now, the only place left in the world is space, and space didn't have new species of animals or plants. A barbarian of an adventurer with no sense of etiquette, Liliz is a girl born in the wrong era, someone who, despite her best efforts, is slowly getting crushed by reality. Her family was filled with intellectuals, and her oddity simply caused her to become isolated from them. Though her father supported her, Liliz could tell that he was displeased with his daughter being a tomboy. Those days, tomboys were simply delinquents, for the more adventurous things, such as climbing old buildings and diving in shallow coves was no longer possible. She occupied herself with physical activity, yet could not find any true, lasting happiness. It was a tiresome, suppressing life. That was the fate that he saved her from. Not directly, but indirectly. In her eighth grade, she had a crush on a boy, an exciting prospect. She fell in love more for the sake of doing so, so she could experience something she hadn't done before. It was fun, heart-pounding, watching him from afar with rose-tinted glasses, and as she continued to watch him, never able to get the courage to actually say 'hi', she learned of his interests. A fascination? An obssession? Liliz knew nothing about this Threshold of Kakophonia, but she did know that she liked the way he looked when he spoke of the thing that interested him so much. Apparently, he was one of the few beta testers, and his IGN was Kikusa. That was nice to know. And when that game was released, Liliz used her New Year's money and some connections to get a copy of the game. Maybe she wouldn't be able to speak to him in real life, but perhaps in a virtual world, she can slowly get closer to him? With those thoughts in mind, she logged in. The first love of her life was a boy with messy, dark hair. The second love of her life was a world that could no longer exist on Earth. Race – Human Class - Warrior Profession – N/A Base Passive - Iron Spirit A percentage of the warrior's maximum ki pool value is converted into defense, lowering ki pool in exchange for higher defense. 1/5 6% of Ki Pool is converted into +6% base defense 2/5 12% of Ki Pool is converted into +12% base defense 3/5 18% of Ki Pool is converted into +18% base defense 4/5 24% of Ki Pool is converted into +24% base defense 5/5 30% of Ki Pool is converted into +30% base defense. Lvl 1 Active - Crater Dive The Warrior leaps into the air, before crashing towards the targetted location, causing moderate physical damage to the target and a small shockwave AOE to nearby enemies. Has a fast casting time and low cooldown. 1/5 Leap distance maxes at 10ft, and shockwave radius is 5ft. 2/5 Leap distance maxes at 20ft, and shockwave radius is 7ft. 3/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. 4/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 20% chance of a 2s stun. 5/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 40% chance of a 2s stun. Lvl 5 Active - Zero Impact The Warrior strikes the target with the flat of their blade. Does no damage, but causes a knockback of 10ft and aggros the target. Single-mob skill, but the effect of the taunt can be passed on if that monster hits another monster. 1/5 Ki cost decreases by 20%. 2/5 Ki cost decreases by 30%. 3/5 Ki cost decreases by 50%. 4/5 Has 30% chance of creating a 5ft shockwave acting as a taunt. 5/5 Has 50% chance of creating a 7ft shockwave acting as a taunt. Lvl 10 Active - Wheel of Pain The Warrior spins to win, dealing AOE damage to all around them for five seconds, being stationary while doing so. There is a minor suction effect while the spell is being cast, drawing in nearby mobs, and the damage of Wheel of Pain is dependent on the number of monsters being attacked. 1/5 Damage increases by 5% per monster. 2/5 Damage increases by 10% per monster. 3/5 Damage increases by 15% per monster. 2% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 4/5 Damage increases by 20% per monster. 4% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 5/5 Damage increases by 25% per monster. 5% of total damage dealt is lifeleeched. Lvl 15 Passive - Knight's Unity The Warrior gains more physical attack damage and speed in accordance to the number of people there are in the party, with a maximum number of 20 other people. 1/5 - 1% increase in speed and damage per person. 2/5 - 2% increase in speed and damage per person. 3/5 - 3% increase in speed and damage per person. 4/5 - 4% increase in speed and damage per person. 5/5 - 5% increase in speed and damage per person. Lvl 20 Active - King Slayer King Slayer is an active that has two different effects, dependent on the amount of HP the enemy has left. In the 'Battle' phase, King Slayer is a high cooldown, low Ki cost spell that strikes the target's leg, severely decreasing their movement speed for a short amount of time. In the 'Execute' phase, King Slayer becomes a low cooldown, high Ki cost spell in which the Warrior swings at the target's neck, causing extremely high physical damage to the target. 1/5 - 30% movement speed decrease for 3s. 2/5 - 40% movement speed decrease for 3s. 3/5 - 50% movement speed decrease for 3s. 30% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 4/5 - 60% movement speed decrease for 3s. 40% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 5/5 - 70% movement speed decrease for 3s. 50% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes.
56,007	1,534	10	1,962	149	Bishop hummed a little rhythm as his feet met with the cobblestone path, realizing that he would have to make a personal vow to stop repeating the term "It's really quite amazing" or he'd start to sound like an NPC from the oasis itself, but he allowed himself a little more time for self indulgence. His steps were overtly heavy, sort of like little kicks to affirm how real it felt, in fact this game might be quite dangerous if not for the HUD mercifully reminding him that he had not been transported to an alternative dimension. As he edged ever closer to the town he started to pass by other engrossed players, some being a bunch of friends taking an extended detour while others were still trapped by the landscape that they had been greeted by. Bishop made a little chuckle every time he saw one, the smiles everyone wore was rather intoxicating. The town was, unsurprisingly, bustling with all kinds of characters transforming the likely quite lakeside town into a commotion big enough to rival cities twice the size. "Oho more giddy people, Ah!" He spied a shop-looking-thing not too far from the entrance, immediately making a bee-line for it despite being unaware if the game had even given him an ounce of currency to begin with. A well built woman draped in simple, but colorful garments stood by the front counter, whom Bishop promptly greeted with "Why hello good lady", which she immediately responded with "Please feel free to browse our wares!" which seemed to trigger a menu to drop down the right half of his vision. For a moment he silently scanned the list before hollowly murmuring "Merchant's Renowns, Noble Renowns...." He could see his own personal level in the top opposite corner, immediately prompting a childish scowl, "Not even a Merchant's, oh how cruel!" The NPC simply stared at him with her set small smile, "Bah never mind then, I'll be back soon enough~" and he turned back to the hearty crowds. Though, now that he thought about it, said crowd seem to be focused somewhere further in the crowds, convinced that the rest of the shops would only inflict him with greater despair, bishop started off further down the main road. Sure enough as he continued further down the road he came across a much larger collection of players who had, for some reason, all gathered to a very specific spot by the side of the road with a steady stream of players both entering and leaving the crowd. On approach the reason soon become clear, within the crown, though spaced from the players by a few feet, stood a man saddling a very large rucksack and clad in mostly brown colours, a merchant if ever he'd seen one. "Hmm, I wonder if perhaps..." Bishop approached the merchant, who immediately turned to him as he stood at the front of the crowd. "Ah you there! I'm sorry but we're rushed for time and could use all the help we can get to get this working" "I don't mind, what's this about." "Ah! The village would be very grateful for your help, you see we're holding a local festival to herald this wonderful occasion, but we're a little understaffed to meet the deadline, here please take these nails to the village blacksmith, boy am I glad to have spied a fresh outsider!" Bishop glanced around to the other players with a little grin as the NPC finished. At the same time a little notification popped up on his HUD, and another telling him of a new key item in his inventory "Oooh first quest!, 'kay I'll get this little errand done!" he saluted the merchant before whirling around, once again, to trace back his steps "I didn't mean to pay her another visit this soon" he chimed along the way	Nickname – Bishie Age - 21 Gender - Male Persona – "Eccentric" would be a fitting word to describe Bishop's personality, even if a awfully sharp looking monster is bearing down upon him, he always wears a somewhat goofy looking grin. His presence is in stark contrast with the typical flow of battle, while most players likely find them self caught up in battle rage bishop will be nonchalantly weaving in and out of attacks. At a glance he would appear to be indifferent to any level of danger, and being in a game doesn't help this persona, but when it comes down to the line he is known to display a surprisingly sharp mind, stepping into the fray if a fellow player is being overwhelmed without much of a second thought. Brief Background – Bishop is a long standing MMO player who's pulled more than his fair share of overnight raids, while not quite a shut in he spends the majority of his free time engrossed in a piece of technology of some description despite the potential negative stigma that hovers around such a lifestyle. His appearance isn't helped by the fact that he is typically a loner in reality, though this is mostly his choice. He was always a difficult person to mesh with, despite his outwardly friendly persona his underlying indifference made him difficult to befriend, as such he was generally popular during his middle and high school years, but only properly spoke to a very select group of people. Bishop is currently taking college classes, studying towards the development of his greatest hobby, computer programming a pursuit which partially lends itself to the long hours spent watching countless avatars follow his inputs on a screen. Despite this he had been feeling a sense of burn out with the MMO scene, how many times had he hit 1 for a sword slash? how many fetch quests had he done watching the hundreds of pixels animate his avatar running after ore X, because of this he became delighted upon hearing of ToK, something that had once been a distant nerd's dream had been fully realized, and a long lost desire actively filled each passing day tentatively awaiting this dreamy VRMMO. It had been too long since he had experienced something worthy of sinking uncountable volumes of time into, the money to cover it was a far, far secondary concern. Race – Human Class - Martial Artist ProfSkills – TBA Base Active: Flash Step (Active) Not quite a teleport, flash step moves the martial artist a short distance in a blink of an eye, however as it is only a superspeed movement, the move lacks any I frames, but is an excellent spacing tool for the class. Flash steps can only be activated on the ground (very low ki consumption) 1/5 Able to chain a second, free step 2/5 Able to chain a third, free step 3/5 Boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% 4/5 Delays chain activation by 2 seconds, allowing for the use a skill in between chains. 5/5 Further boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% Level 1 Skill Pulse Wave (Active) Range: 15 meters A mid ranged magic attack that sends out a sphere of ki that expands on contact. Hits for little damage but causes knockback of 4 meters(base). (low ki consumption) 1/5 Increases Impact force by 3%, Increases MP cost by 1% 2/5 Increases Impact force by 5%, Increases MP cost by 2% 3/5 Expands radius of sphere by 4% 4/5 Reduces casting time by 1 second 5/5 Further expands radius of sphere by 5% Level 5 Skill Serenity (Passive) The martial artist hones his senses, becoming more sensitive to the flow of Ki, improving his ability to aquire and discharge Ki 1/5 2% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 2/5 4% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 3/5 3% boost to ki regen rate, 5% boost to spell damage 4/5 6% boost to ki regen rate, 6% boost to spell damage 5/5 10% boost to ki regen rate, 10% boost to spell damage, 2% Increase in MP for all spells Level 10 Skill Arc Blitz (Active) Range: 10 meters The martial artist releases an arc of ki that surges forwards dealing equal damage to all caught within. Furthermore, if the target still stands, a residual ki sliver debuff lingers on the target that will explode if any magical energy touches it, dealing 50% of the skill's damage 1/5 4% Damage boost 2/5 8% Damage boost 3/5 Increases arc radius by 4% 4/5 11% Damage boost 5/5 15% Damage boost, Arc radius increased by 6% Level 15 Sanguine (Passive) Converts a portion of damage recieved into ki, with the ability to temporarily store ki gained through this passive beyond natural ki reserve for 1 minutes 1/5 3% damage recieved converted to ki, 10% bonus ki reserve 2/5 5% damage recieved converted to ki, 15% bonus ki reserve 3/5 8% damage recieved converted to ki, 20% bonus ki reserve 4/5 12% damage recieved converted to ki, 25% bonus ki reserve 5/5 15% damage recieved converted to ki, extends time bonus ki reserve held by 3 minute Level 20 Skill Ethereal Drive (Active) Range: 15 meters A high DPS Skill The martial artist channels an intense amount of ki into a violent beam of energy that continuously assaults targets unfortunate enough to be standing in front of the MA, can move freely while the skill is active to change targets, however it rapidly drains Ki reserves for every second active. 1/5 Damage boost by 5% 2/5 Damage boost by 10% 3/5 Applies Ki Sliver debuff per hit at 30% skill damage, cannot be detonated by the etheral drive itself 4/5 Damage boost by 20% 5/5 Damage boost by 20%, reduces MP cost per second by 15%
56,008	1,534	11	130	423	The continuous river of people didn't want to stop, it seemed to be constantly growing as people arrived jumping into the flowing crowd that marched the pathways and socialized as a single unit. Amai realized that the approach they were taking would work effectively, making friends, sharing knowledge with one another, spreading like wildfire with only the themselves knowing that they were the match that lit this outburst of knowledge. She envied the river of people, but more than that she knew that it wasn't for her. So, she waited in the alleyway until there was a gap in the continuity, and when she found it the small girl sprinted from the alleyway towards the other side of the path. Amai really shouldn't have ran so fast, the dust covered road of stone wasn't easy for her ruined boots to grip upon as is, and as she attempted to stop at the opposing side she slid into the counter top of a shop that was nearby. The force of the wood knocking her over, and landing on her bottom. For a few long seconds she didn't comprehend what was going on, but the river of people had finally reappeared trailing through this way once again. Amai couldn't help but tear up a bit as she climbed back onto her feet, patting the dust from rear and leaning against the counter top responsible for knocking her down, though what was really getting to her was this sense of being watched. Was it the people behind her? Where was this piercing feeling coming from, she thought to herself as she looked towards the interior area of the shop she was in front. And that is when her question was answered, because there he stood, a tall burly man, bearded to compliment his greying black hair, and seeming dirty enough to have not showered in months. The expression on Amai's face was absolute shock, people alone scare her, so rugged scruffy men would obviously terrify her, enough to the point where she froze. Her body stiff, her face seeming to be stuck in horror, though there were signs of life as moisture still was visible around her eyes from when she had cried. "Oi there 'ye shouldn't be scared o' merchants." The man said, placing his hands in his apron as he walked over to the kiln in the back right corner of his shop. Amai seemed to have forgotten about how realistic the Non-player Characters were supposed to be in the chaos, though she only responded with a nod to the man. "Not much'e talker, that's okay." He said, opening the door of the kiln to check on the pots he had apparently made for selling. This time she felt a little more comfortable, she climbed onto a seat in front of the counter sitting with her knees close to her face she muttered quietly. "Th-thank you. D-do you know anyone who's looking for help?" "Was jus'about'e ask ye'!" The merchant blurted loudly, stepping away from his kiln and towards the chair on the opposing side of the counter. "There's 'e festival goin' on. An' ye' see, us merchants look afte' one another in this village. So I have a request for ye' little one." The merchant leaned in towards Amai to talk to her more directly. "I'm just about te' finish this pot for the produce vendor. Ye' mind taking it te' her for me?" As the man finished, an apparent quest indicator was received, a small book lighting up and adding it's self to the UI and disappearing from sight. Amai watched the spectacle, confusing the merchant.as he watched her organize the UI in front of him- though he shook it off by scooting closer to the girl once again, putting his face right in front of her's. "So, ye' up to the task?" He asked. Amai had finally been offered her first quest, this was a good start she thought. Looking up to see the man's face close to her own she jumped back, nearly losing her balance but luckily not giving in to her bad luck. She slid off the chair keeping her eyes glued to the ground, turning towards the merchant and thinking her actions through for a moment. It seemed like a simple quest, one that had no significance, but experience is experience. She bowed low to the merchant, keeping her arms to her sides and taking a deep breath to avoid getting too nervous. "I shall gratefully fulfill this task." She said, in a hush but excited tone. The merchant nodded with a smile, waving her off as she sped from the Potter's Shop, The dusty characteristic of the ground didn't change miraculously after her first incident caused by it, this fact didn't stop Amai from running though, the small girl sliding into walls and boxes as she attempted to navigate the streets. Where was the produce vendor? Her speedy pursuit came to an end when she really thought through the reality of how little knowledge she had about this game. Maybe she should have joined the large groups of people, they would have been able to learn the town quickly. Amai had reached the West Gate, the main entrance of the village and the most populated area of the time. Here, friends were gathering together from other games and partying up to experience this game. She scanned the mass for someone she knew, but it was fruitless, none of her former guildmates were here. There was a large stone building, it faced the gate but was far enough from people for her to be comfortable. Here she sat, if not to be hopeful of someone she knows stumbling upon her- but also to open her quest log. From Merchant to Merchant - Quest 1/3 "It's a chain quest? That saves some time." Amai said to herself as she closed the window and wrapped her arms around her legs.	IGN(In-Game Name) – Amai Nickname – Emi Age – 17 Gender – Female Persona – Amai is a very shy girl, her preferred form of communication with people is without physical contact. Often staying away from things like voice or video chat, preferring text communication more than anything. Though in retrospect, when she does communicate with people indirectly she seems like a cheerful girl, sounding upbeat and completely different. What would draw such a girl towards the VRMMO you might ask, well the answer is simple, peer pressure. With a girl who is shy within the common world, friends are indeed hard to make, so as they progressed she would need to keep up. And as they saw this rising star of a game arise, they believed it was time to move on from their old dreary mmo onto something new. The transition would be hard, and Amai is nervous- but we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Brief Background – At the age of seven, Amai was first introduced to online gaming as her mother screamed into her headset playing the popular MMO of her time Underworld Online at her work desk. As the little girl tugged at her mother’s sleeve for attention, the woman was too entranced by the battle she had been facing to noticed. Rather than get upset or cry, the young Amai was awed of the determined expression on her mother’s face. The following year, Amai asked for her own computer as a birthday present and in that year she played the same game as her mother, learning the basics and striving for greatness. She played the game religiously throughout her younger years, and by her last year of middle school she was in a top tier raiding guild. But the game she had gotten so good at was now many years old, even her mother had quit it to focus more on work. Though her guild lived on, flocking from one game to another until they found one they liked. They settled on Seven Blades, an action-combat mmo for a couple years, but then ToK was released. It was a VRMMO, something Amai had never tried before, it was scary but all of her friends were moving on. She didn’t want to be left behind, so along with the many who lifted anchor for this game- she started anew to defeat this games challenges like the rest. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Alchemist Profession – Will be added when chosen through RP. Alchemist Skills Anima – Stone The circle Anima is created giving life to that which the transmutation circle is written upon. Stone allows the Alchemist to summon force a stone golem that will serve the alchemist as a protector. Anima lingers until the transmutation circle is destroyed or the Alchemist is defeated in battle. 1/5 - Stone 2/5 - Granite 3/5 - Obsidian 4/5 - Mechanical 5/5 - Archon - Lvl Scales with Caster The stone golem's benefit to the party is off-tank capabilities and additional melee damage. They have above average health for a level 20 monster and are surprising tanky to support this. Stone Golems are silent and emotionless and obey only the alchemist's commands, though it is unknown what happens if the alchemist is defeated while a golem is still active. will do others as they come to play Aquas - Shower The transmutation circle Aquas is created, causing the ally it is cast upon to regain health per second as rain pours from the sky above them. The regenerative waters will continue to fall upon the targeted ally until 10% of their health has been regained from this ability, furthermore a puddle will be created under the allies' feet and will be left behind for 15 seconds, allies that pass through this puddle will be granted a small magic resistance increase for 5 seconds. 1/5 - 10% of Health cap to healing 2% every second for 5 seconds. 2/5 - 15% of Health cap to healing 3% every second for 5 seconds. 3/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 4% every second for 5 seconds. 4/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 5% every second for 4 seconds. 5/5 - Puddles created by Aquas now grant increased magic resistance for 10 seconds. Overclock* Increases all healing done by 10% for ten seconds, if a spell is not cast within the duration the Alchemist will be able to recast this spell again without triggering it's cooldown. Overclock* Deals increased damage inevitably. Frigoris – Glaciate The transmutation circle Frigoris is created, causing the surface it is written upon to slowly begin to freeze. Glaciate deals even damage regardless of the transmutation circle's time being created, though will do increased damage if another circle takes it's place causing an effect called Ice Rupture. Ice Rupture removes all freezing effects from enemies though dealing high damage beforehand. Frigoris will stay on it's destinaton until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Slow reduction of 2% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 2/5 - Slow reduction of 4% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 3/5 - Slow reduction of 5% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 4/5 - Ice Rupture no longer removes Freeze Effect. 5/5 - Increase damage to Ice Rupture. Overclock * Roots opponent to ground in ice for 2 seconds. Can only occur once. Tempesta – Tranquility The transmutation circle Tempesta is created, causing the surface it is written upon to grant all nearby allies a strengthening boon increasing movement speed and healing five health points every three seconds for thirty seconds. Upon it's completion the transmutation circle will vanish, Tempesta does not linger. 1/5 - Movement speed increased by 5% healing of 5% health per 3 seconds. 2/5 - Movement speed increased by 7% healing of 7% health per 3 seconds. 3/5 - Movement speed increased by 10% healing of 12% health per 3 seconds. 4/5 - Tranquility heals all party members for 10% of health on activation. 5/5 - Movement speed increased by 20% healing of 30% health per 3 seconds. Overclock* Refreshes cooldowns of nearby allies. Ignem – Smolder The transmutation circle Ignem is created causing the surface it is written upon to heat up quickly and weaken it's physical defenses by 10%. Additionally, if another Ignem spell is used in succession to Smolder the effects will last for 5 seconds afterwards. Ignem lingers on it's destination until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Duration 3 Seconds 2/5 - Duration 4 Seconds 3/5 - Duration 5 Seconds 4/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. 5/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. Overclock* Decreases enemy fire resistance. Philosopher's Stone: Active Philosopher's Stone allows the Alchemist to create 'huzzah' a Philosopher's Stone. It is an on use consumed item that stores a transmutation circle allowing one to be summoned quickly and without triggering any cooldowns. Once the item is consumed another can be created in twenty-four hours, and only a single Philosopher's Stone may be in the player's possession at a time. 1/5 - 24 Hour Cooldown + 30 Second Cast Time 2/5 - 12 Hour Cooldown + 15 Second Cast Time 3/5 - 6 Hour Cooldown + 7.5 Second Cast Time 4/5 - 3 Hour Cooldown + 3.75 Second Cast Time 5/5 - 1 Hour Cooldown + Instant Cast Time.
56,009	1,534	12	2,043	19	Time seemed to pass with intense precision, each ticking of Lance's wrist watch proved agonizing. He watched the doors to his local Gamestop with anticipation. All he could think about was rushing in and grabbing up a copy of what may be the most exciting and revolutionary game of all time. Lance was practically salivating at the thought of entering a new world of virtual transcendence. He was excited to test the mechanics of the game and meet all sorts of new individuals while challenging some of gaming's most intense enemies. He had been reading up on the game for months and now he had a golden opportunity to seize the day, as they say. So he waited... and waited... and waited. And suddenly in a giant burst of excitement and adrenaline the crowd quickly pummeled each other to besiege the metal door to the game store. And within that crowd stood a goofy young man plowing through the front lines and up to the counter. He was third in line, and within minutes he had achieved what he believed to be a fantastically executed feat. Of course, the feat did include camping outside the store for two whole days so he was bound to get something... Nonetheless, Lance paid a fortune for the game and briskly rushed out the store and pranced home like an enthusiastic school girl! The run home seemed endless, and soon Lance was well out of breath, but he wouldn't... no... he couldn't stop! He had to get home as soon as possible to start the damn game. His mind was racing with tons of character ideas and anticipations of the game's layout. And soon the door was in view! Lance charged through the door, still running at full speed. His mother shrieked as he breached the front entrance and Lance heard the clanging of a pot followed by a splat noise, which Lance could only assume was breakfast. "Sorry, mom! It's just me! I'll be upstairs..." He heard her reply with an angered response, yet he couldn't really make out what she said... not that he really cared either. Lance's bedroom door closed behind him, and he clicked the lock before opening the neatly constructed package for ToK. A wide grin spread across his face as he lifted the console and virtual head piece up to his face. The salivating turned to drooling and Lance let out a weird giggly noise. It was a sound he had never once emitted until now. Then he looked in his mirror with regret and shook his head disapprovingly. "Okay, calm down Lance. It's just a game. Just take a breath and set up the game and start playing. Quite simple." ANd so he did, and then he started it up. He took a deep breath and then... <<WELCOME TO THE THRESHOLD OF KAKOPHONIA>> <<STATE YOUR USERNAME AND RACE>> Interesting start... Lance thought to himself as he scanned the race options and was instantly drawn to the Veni Yan. But a name? Ha! Lance didn't even think about it. After all of that waiting and reading and pining, Lance hadn't thought of a character name. So he began thinking quietly. I definitely want something that fits the race and has a medieval feel. Hm. And suddenly it hit him. "Sarecyn FurLance," he said with a bold tone. The name appeared on the screen above the race section and Lance smiled. "Veni Yan," he uttered next. And suddenly the system went white and Lance lost feeling in his body. He instantly panicked and wondered what was happening. Is this how this is supposed to feel? Or is this some strange bug in the system? Lance tried to move, but he couldn't tell if he was even successful. Not until, of course, the sounds started. Voices. Wind. General scenic noises. Then the flash of light settled into a gorgeous surrounding. The feeling in his body slowly came back, yet it wasn't his physical body anymore. He darted back and forth, taking his surrounding in for the first time. He breathed in fresh, foreign air that seemed so real. The sights and sounds were real too. With an awkward jump, Lance raised his fist and exclaimed a notable "Yeah!" A few others looked at him with mixtures of contempt and laughter. He didn't mind, really. He was too blinded by sheer excitement. And now it was time to start his wondrous journey through the outlandish world of ToK! ---- Lance acquired the skills to maneuver his new body relatively quickly and he was soon walking around aimlessly within this strange town. It seemed there was some sort of festival taking place, which only excited Lance more. Soon he was bumped by an older man who then dropped a crate that he was carrying. Lance felt embarrassed despite it only being a game and quickly jumped to the man's aide. He looked elderly and so Lance could only assume he was an NPC. However, he looked as real as the other player characters he had encountered. And he moved fluidly and without pause. He even spoke as if he were a real human being. "Sorry about that, young one. Didn't see you there..." He bent down and then immediately jerked his body upward. "I'm not the man I used to be," he said solemnly as he held onto a vendor stall nearby to support his weight. "No... no... this is my fault. I wasn't paying attention. I'm sorry!" Lance stacked the crates one on top of the other and brushed his hands together afterwards to remove the soot that had covered them. "Do you need any help with this stuff?" The old man paused and then smiled. "Ya know! I could use a hand from a young lad like yourself." Suddenly, a quest indicator appeared in the left part of Lance's vision. "From merchant to merchant? Hm?" He fiddled with the dynamics of accepting a quest in real time without the use of a mouse and keyboard. The old man gave him a strange look and scratched his head. "You going to help me or what," he asked? Lance hit accept almost immediately as he asked his question, and with a big smile Lance nodded! "You can count on me!" The old man smiled back. "You're a bit strange, but I like you. Anyway! I need you to bring these crates to my good friend down this road here. She is our one and only produce vendor, and she's quite the looker." He cackled and slapped his own knee. Lance tried to fake a meek laugh as well and quickly grabbed up the crates and began his first quest! Lance scanned the area filled with market vendors as he walked carefully down the road. Carrying the crates was actually difficult, or as difficult as it would be in the real world anyway. But Lance didn't complain; he was truly enjoying his experience within the game world. Suddenly, he saw a colored marker over this woman's head just a ways away. He hurried over and placed the crates at her feet. "A...um... delivery of crates from one of the other merchants. An old man, the carpenter I think." "Oh yes! I've got to make sure I make him something special as thanks." The woman smiled and shifted the crates next to her stall before looking back at Lance. And with that, the quest indicator appeared again and showed that he had completed his first quest of the game. A feat he would never forget... To be continued	IGN(In-Game Name) – Sarecyn FurLance Nickname – Lance Age - 18 Gender - Male Persona – Lance is your typical man's man. He is lazy, clumsy and his pickup lines stink. He is the last person anyone would've expected to play MMOs or any other video game for that matter, but truth be told, he loves them! And as soon as a virtual reality game was proposed, he was extremely excited to get his hands on it. No matter how lame he can be at times, Lance is a genuine and honest guy who truly cares for anyone who gets close to him. He will generally go out of his way to meet people, even if his methods comes off a bit strong. So prepare your nerves for a talkative, fun-loving gamer who is extremely laid back and only ever gets serious under pressure. Brief Background – Unlike a lot of his friends, Lance didn't come from a family of intellects or elites or really anything interesting at all. His father worked as a grocer in Lance's home town while his mother taught a first grade class at an elementary school. They never had tons of money, so Lance grew up loving the outdoors and quality time spent with friends playing sports or swimming at the beach. He was just as fun-loving as a child as he is now in his young adult life. When he was in his early teens, his parents divorced and he moved in with his mother and her new boyfriend far away from his old home, where his father now resided alone. In this new place, Lance found himself lost in a crowd of eggheads and elitists who were much different from him. He tried to be friendly, but he couldn't really find a niche in this new environment. That is when he learned about the wonderful world of online gaming. Lance played all sorts of fun MMOs and met people all over the world, and he felt free and alive once again. And his new home didn't turn out so bad; for he made two close friends who also enjoyed gaming, and the three of them spent time together on and offline. It was from one of these close friends that Lance learned of "The Threshold of Kakophonia." A fantastical virtual world where anything is possible. And so his ToK Journey begins... --- Race – Veni Yan Class - Monk Profession – N/A Monk Skills Still Mind (Passive) 1/5: Dodge chance increases by 5% 2/5: Dodge chance increases by 10% 3/5: Dodge chance increases by 15% 4/5: Dodge chance increases by 20% 5/5: Dodge chance increases by 25% Paralyzing Blow (Active) The Monk is able to calculate an appropriate area to strike, utilizing mana with the attack, to temporarily paralyze an opponent. The time increases as the monk becomes more adept in the skill. 1/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 2 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds 2/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 3 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds 3/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 4 seconds. Cool down: 15 seconds 4/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 5 seconds. Cool down: 20 seconds. 5/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 6 seconds. Cool down: 30 seconds. Crippling Strike (Active) The Monk strikes the opponent in a debilitating fashion as to cripple it, thus reducing its effective strength for a short time. 1/5: Foe deals 10% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 15 seconds 2/5: Foe deals 20% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 15 seconds 3/5: Foe deals 30% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 20 seconds 4/5: Foe deals 40% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 20 seconds 5/5: Foe deals 50% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 25 seconds Flawless Form (Active) The Monk attacks with sharp, quick strikes that increase the monk's critical hit chance for a short duration. 1/5: Critical hit chance increases by 5% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 2/5: Critical hit chance increases by 10% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 3/5: Critical hit chance increases by 15% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 4/5: Critical hit chance increases by 20% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 5/5: Critical hit chance increases by 25% against target. Cool down: 1 minute Monk’s Aura (Passive) The Monk is able to project a certain aura, generated by their focus on mana, which grants a level of magical resistance. 1/5: The Monk takes 10% less damage from magical attacks. 2/5: The Monk takes 15% less damage from magical attacks. 3/5: The Monk takes 20% less damage from magical attacks. 4/5: The Monk takes 25% less damage from magical attacks. 5/5: The Monk takes 30% less damage from magical attacks. Aura Slam (Active) A short range attack that deals no damage but produces an astral arm from the user’s physical body to strike the ground around an opponents(s) within a small distance and aggro them. With each mastery of the technique, the range increases slightly and there is a chance to stun the opponent(s). 1/5: 3-foot range. Cool down: 5 sec 2/5: 5-foot range. Cool down: 5 seconds 3/5: 5-foot range. 10% chance to stun for 2 seconds. Cool down: 5 seconds 4/5: 8-foot range. 20% chance to stun for 2 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds 5/5: 10-foot range. 30% chance to stun for 2 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds
56,010	1,534	13	2,030	539	Following the cobblestone path laid out before him, Apollo neared the town. Not too far away, he could see other groups of people heading inside as well, walking on several branches of paths leading into different gates. Each gate had a signt hat said "Welcome to Windswept Oasis". Stopping at the stone gate just a few paces ahead of him, Apollo took a deep breath. "This is it. The start of a new life for me..." He thought. With that in mind, he entered the town. Already, he could see crowds of people gathering before him, players interacting with both NPC's and each other. Apollo was aware of how realistic the NPC's were said to be. He supposed that roleplaying as an adventurer would be fun as well. Immersion was one thing that he had found lacking in other online RPG's. Looking around the general area, he spotted someone at the gates. It was a Nobelle, like him. But she seemed to be curled up against the stone wall. Apollo couldn't tell if this was an NPC or a player, so he just decided to smile and wave at her. If it was an NPC, it might trigger a quest or event. If it was a player, they would hopefully take kindly to it. Seeing as no pop-up or notification appeared, Apollo assumed it was a player (or an NPC whose only purpose was aesthetics, or a later quest). The girl seemed a little startled at the friendly gesture, and Apollo thought it wise to leave her to her business. He walked off further into the town. on the world As he walked along, he could spot several people carrying all sorts of crates and sacks. Some of them actually looked like players. "Interesting... Is this some sort of mass quest? Is the village preparing for something? Apollo asked himself. He had also heard about how quests were more than just ways to earn wealth, and actually had an effect on the virtual world. He wondered how he'd be able to get in on the action. His question was answered almost immediately as he unknowingly wandered into the village market, and saw a woman running one of the vegetable stalls. She waved at Apollo, as if gesturing him to approach. The Nobelle complied and walked towards the stall. By now, he could see that another player was there was well, a male Veni Yan by the sight of the tattoos. "Do you mind giving me hand? Things have been hectic lately and there just aren't enough people to make deliveries." She said. A quest notification popped up on the side of Apollo's field of vision. Smiling, he decided to accept the quest. "Of course ma'am. What can I do to help." Apollo replied. "Great. Ok, I need you to take this crate of produce to the Inn. The village has had a lot of visitors recently and the Inn needs enough food to feed everyone." The vendor said. Apollo nodded. "Understood, I'll take care of this." He said. "The Innkeeper will make sure you're compensated nicely." The vendor assured him. Picking up the crate, Apollo realized it was about half the size of his body. Most likely because the Nobelles were the shortest of the three races. It was rather heavy, but he felt that he could manage. It was then however, that he realized that he had no idea whee the Inn was. "Damn... I should've explored more before taking my first quest. I guess I got too excited." He thought. He decided to ask for directions. Turning towards the Veni Yan at the stalls, Apollo spoke. "Excuse me, would you happen to know which direction the Inn is in?" He asked the player.	IGN - Apollo Winter Nickname - App Age - 18 Gender – Male Persona - Growing up, Adrian Winter was known as the “smart kid”. He had good grades all around, but was never good at socializing. In the real world, he is not great at speaking with others. He is also rather reserved and pacifistic in real life. In the game world however, he finds it easier to speak and make friends with people, and uses his intelligence to concoct battle strategies to hit the enemy where it hurts. He prefers to avoid rushing into a fight, and takes the time to analyze the situation. Because of this, most people call him “App”, because he acts like an application for making battleplans. However, his more complex plans require to be carried out exactly, so if something unexpected happens, Apollo needs time to think of a new one altogether. And time is a rare luxury in Kakophonia. Brief background – Adrian was born to the wealthy Winter Family, the owner of the Winter Group, a large business conglomerate.Despite this, his parents made sure he was never pampered in order to make sure he had a good personality. They wanted him to focus on studies in order to continue the family line. Thus, he was sent to prestigious schools where he followed his parents’ instructions and strived for excellence. Unfortunately, this was at the sacrifice of his social skills, and he had trouble making friends. One because of his looks, and two because of how intimidated people became when they hear that he is the son of the Winter family. Soon afterwards, he was introduced into the world of online games, and Adrian found out that he had an easier time with people online. More so because he could choose to look like anything he wished, and no one knew that he was the next in line for the Winter Group. His parents rewarded his good grades with the online video games he asked for. They also thought it would help with his socialization problems. When the hyped-up VR game: “Threshold of Kakophonia” was released to the public, his parents used their influence to get him one of the first few copies in their area. Upon logging in, their Adrian Winter adopted the virtual persona: Apollo Winter. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Mechanic Profession – N/A Mechanic Skills Base Skill: Hazard Zone (Passive) Causes single target abilities to deal AOE damage. Damage and range scales with that of the ability used. 1/5 - 20% of Skill's damage in a 3-foot diameter 2/5 - 30% of Skill's damage in a 9-foot diameter 3/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 12-foot diameter 4/5 - 50% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter 5/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter with a 30% chance of slowing enemies. Level 1 Skill: Warning Shot (Active) The Mechanic loads a modified shot into the chamber, and fires it into the air above a location. The shot breaks apart into smaller pieces, falling upon and dealing damage to everyone within a 12-foot circle target area. Does less damage than normal attack. Damage output and element depend on type of equipment used. Restricted to Cannon-type and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Deals 20% of normal damage 2/5 - Deals 35% of normal damage 3/5 - Deals 50% of normal damage 4/5 - Deals 65% of normal damage 5/5 - Deals 80% of normal damage Level 5 Skill: Snare Bomb (Active) The Mechanic throws a handheld bomb into the air above a target. The bomb breaks apart to reveal a spiked net that traps the target for a limited time, and deals a small amount of damage. Cannot escape for the duration of the trap. After the time is up, the target can easily struggle out of the net. Cannot be used when wielding heavy guns. Restricted to Pistol-type, Harpoon guns, and Rifle-type weapons. 1/5 - Lasts for 2 seconds. Does 10% of normal damage 2/5 - Lasts for 3 seconds. Does 12% of normal damage 3/5 - Lasts for 4 seconds. Does 14% of normal damage 4/5 - Lasts for 5 seconds. Does 16% of normal damage 5/5 - Lasts for 6 seconds. Does 18% of normal damage Level 10 Skill: Prototype Ammunition (Passive) Using experimental ammunition, the Mechanic is able to do extra damage to targets. However, the ammunition is not very stable, and effectiveness is not guaranteed. Diversity of ammunition increases as this skill is improved. 1/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Rifles and Pistols 2/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Cannons and Missile launchers 3/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Harpoon guns and Flamethrowers 4/5 - +15% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons 5/5 - +20% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons Level 15 Skill:Burst Round (Active) The Mechanic loads a special round into the chamber, and fires directly at a single target. Upon impact, the shot breaks apart into several bullets, and then those bullets burst into pellets upon contact with an object. Main shot does full damage. Bullets and pellets do less and less damage respectively. Mastery changes it from Area of Effect attack, to focusing down on one target. Restricted to Cannon-type, Rifle-type, Pistol-type, and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Main shot: +50% damage. Bullets: -30% damage. Pellets: -50% damage 2/5 - Main shot: +75% damage. Bullets: -25% damage. Pellets: -45% damage 3/5 - Main shot: +100% damage. Bullets: -20% damage. Pellets: -40% damage 4/5 - Main shot: +125% damage. Bullets: -15% damage. Pellets: -35% damage 5/5 - Main shot: +200% damage. Bullets: -40% damage. Pellets: -60% damage Level 20 Skill: Blitzkrieg (Active) The Mechanic tinkers with their weapon, and then loads a special type of ammunition (Depending on the weapon: Shots for guns, fuel for flamethrower, etc.). And then proceeds to fire a barrage of shots at a single target. Low accuracy per shot, but good chance of hitting agile targets due to the number of shots being fired. Weapon becomes unstable for a short period after this, causing it to deal less damage than normal. Weapon slowly becomes more stable as time passes by. Instability lasts for 20 seconds. 1/5 - Maximum of +125% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 2/5 - Maximum of +150% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 3/5 - Maximum of +175% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 4/5 - Maximum of +200% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 5/5 - Maximum of +250% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 85% afterwards
56,011	1,534	14	709	241	The rush, the noise...it felt great. Elizea bounced around the plaza, avoiding the streams of people, so as not to get in their way. Some seemed to be players, all carrying crates and packages...was it an event? Probably...she'd have to find a way to get in on it. As she skipped by a window, Elizea halted and backtracked. Her reflection...it was her's, right?...stared back at her. Long pink pigtails, vivid pink eyes...and an absolutely adorable pink outfit! She traced the tattoo under her eye, and on her arm, a vine-like design. "This is beyond cool..." Elizea mumbled. She had opted to go with a random appearance, and it was definitely worth it. It was such a vibrant, fun look! Without her noticing, a man realized her staring in the window. Walking over and opening it, he caused Elizea to jump. "Oh, sorry, my dear...I noticed you looking into my shop. Interested in some new clothes?" He questioned, and Elizea noticed a tape measure and some thread hanging from the front pocket of his white, ruffled shirt. She glanced up at the sign above his door...on it, some thread and a needle were emblazoned. So he was a tailor? Sweet..."Uh, no thanks, sir..." Elizea said, a bit confused on how to proceed, before asking what was on her mind, "...but could you tell me what's up with all of these crates and things?" "Well, haven't you heard? There's to be a festival in Windswept Oasis! Oh my, speaking of which...would you be willing to help me? You see, I have some bedding for the Inn, as they were a bit short. However, I can't get away at the moment..." The tailor asked, and Elizea jumped on the opportunity. "Sure, no problem!" She accepted with a smile. The tailor grinned, handing her a medium-sized box. "Thank you so very much!" Before she could ask where the inn was, the tailor was back to work. A notification appeared before her; Quest started: From Merchant to Merchant "My first quest!" Elizea said giddily, before realizing...she had no idea where the inn was. Walking among the stalls, Elizea kept an eye out, but couldn't see anything in the crowd of people...how was she going to navigate the world without a mini-map? With a sigh, Elizea was passing the produce stall, when she heard a young man asking another where the inn was located. Ears perking up, Elizea walked over. "You're looking for the inn, as well? I'm glad I'm not the only one a bit lost..." Elizea greeted, chuckling a bit sheepishly to herself. She hoped the Veni Yan, as it seemed from the tattoos, knew where to go. Maybe she could follow the smaller Nobelle to the inn, just so she didn't get more hopelessly lost in the throngs. The crate wasn't the lightest thing, after all.	Appearance - IGN(In-Game Name) – Elizea Roria Nickname – Elly Age - 19 Gender - Female Persona – A peppy, bright girl, Elizea is an optimist through and through. Never one to back down from a challenge, she tends to get herself into rather tight situations, a problem both in-game and out. Failures cause her spirits to sink for quite a while, often blaming the problems of others on herself. In order to prevent this, Elizea goes out of her way to make sure everyone stays in tip-top shape, and out of trouble. Some see this as nagging, but it's a necessary precaution for her to take, to ensure success in all ventures. Brief Background – Outside of the game, Elizea, or Sarah Willows, was an intelligent student, with her head often in the clouds. Daydreaming as she did, she didn't do as well in school as she should have. How could she, when there were entire lands to visit in her mind? Needless to say, her parents nor her teachers didn't approve of such behavior, and she was prescribed medication to help her attention. Sarah hated the medicine, as most children do. It dulled her. During one visit with a friend, Sarah skipped taking her medicine. They were going to have a bonfire, and she wanted to be alert for it. As the fire went on, Sarah was off staring into space once more. During this, one of her friends tripped right in front of her, into the fire. The girl suffered horrible burns, scarring practically everything on her body. Sarah knew that if she were paying attention, she could have caught her. While the girl was able to get reconstruction surgery to repair the damage, it didn't mean that she had experienced serious pain. This developed into a guilt so strong, any failure she witnessed, be it her's or another's, reminded her that she was flawed. Out of high school, she took a waitress job at a local restaurant, to try and take her mind off things. Long story short, it didn't work. Then she discovered Threshold of Kakophonia. It looked so incredible...and it was exactly what she had dreamed of. A world to escape into. Sarah saved money as fast as she could, and made sure to secure a set for herself. On the day of the launch, she giddily strapped on the gear and entered the game. She took the name Elizea Roria, something much more exciting than her boring old name. Race – Veni Yan Class - Acolyte Profession – N/A Skills - Acolyte Skills Honed Spirit (Passive) 1/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 5% 2/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 10% 3/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 15% 4/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 20% 5/5: Spell Effectiveness is incresed by 30% Mending Pulse (Active) The Acolyte summons a spirit which releases a pulse of healing energy in a 10 ft around the caster. Allies caught in it recover 10% of HP. 1/5: Range of pulse becomes 12 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 2%(12%) 2/5: Range becomes 14 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 8%(18%) 3/5: Range becomes 16 ft. Amount of Hp healed increased by 11%(21%) 4/5: Range becomes 18 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 15%(25%) 5/5: Range becomes 20 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 20%(30%) Burning Synergy (Active)(Toggle) Add fire damage to current weapon. Reserves 10% of the Acolyte's mana. 1/5: Adds 5% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 12% 2/5: Adds 9% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 15% 3/5: Adds 13% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 18% 4/5: Adds 17% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 21% 5/5: Adds 21% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 24% Frigid Spike (Active) The Acolyte summons an ice fairy that launches a spear of ice at the target, dealing ice damage, as well as ignoring 5% armor. 1/5: Damage increases by 6%. Ignores 7% of armor. MP Cost increased by 9% 2/5: Damage increases by 10%. Ignores 9% of armor. MP Cost increased by 12%. Target has a 15% chance of being slowed. 3/5:Damage increases by 14%. Ignores 11% of armor. MP Cost increased by 15%. Target has a 20% chance of being slowed. 4/5: Damage increases by 18%. Ignores 14% of armor. MP Cost increased by 18%. Target has a 25% chance of being slowed. 5/5: Damage increases by 22%. Ignores 17% of armor. MP Cost increased by 21%. Target has a 30% chance of being slowed. Divine Gift (Active) The caster summons a fairy to come and revive fallen allies at 50% HP. 1/5: HP restored increased to 60%. 2/5: HP restored increased to 70%. 3/5: HP restored increased to 80%. Rezzed players receive a brief 10% boost in physical damage for 30 seconds 4/5: HP Restored increased to 90%. Rezzed players reveive a 10% boost in Phys. Damage, as well as a 10% Phys. Defense resist for 30 seconds 5/5: Boosts in Phys. Damage and Defense increased to 20%. Channeled Thunder (Active) The Acolyte charges the air around them with electric energy, sending crackling arcs of lightning out around them. Arcs a bolt of powerful lightining between foes. 1/5: Damage increased by 10%.Inflicts 2 second stun 2/5: damage increased by 15%. Enemies wearing metallic armor receive increased damage. 3/5: Damage increased by 20%. 4/5: Damage increased by 25%. Stun increases to 3 seconds 5/5: Damage increased by 30%.
56,012	1,534	15	2,043	19	Lance stepped back with an air of accomplishment. His hands sat on his hips and he wore a goofy smile that quickly faded into embarrassment as he heard voices from behind him. He jerked his head, followed by his body, around to greet the voices. There stood a Veni Yan like himself and a smaller Nobelle looking to him for information. It seems they were both looking for the inn. Lance looked back down the road he had traveled already. Then he remembered seeing a sign that read "inn" just outside of a building near the place Lance had met the elderly carpenter. "Uh... yeah... the inn. Right. I think I passed it on the way from the carpenter's store. We can go together!" He smiled at them as he put his hands behind his head and gestured for them to follow. "You up for it?" Lance stood there awaiting a yes or no from the first two individuals Lance had come into contact with. He was eager to meet new people and outside of his contact with the NPCs, he hadn't really interacted with anyone real up until now. But now he had the chance to make a few friends and just the idea made Lance smile more. He proceeded to walk a few steps forward assuming they'd follow.	IGN(In-Game Name) – Sarecyn FurLance Nickname – Lance Age - 18 Gender - Male Persona – Lance is your typical man's man. He is lazy, clumsy and his pickup lines stink. He is the last person anyone would've expected to play MMOs or any other video game for that matter, but truth be told, he loves them! And as soon as a virtual reality game was proposed, he was extremely excited to get his hands on it. No matter how lame he can be at times, Lance is a genuine and honest guy who truly cares for anyone who gets close to him. He will generally go out of his way to meet people, even if his methods comes off a bit strong. So prepare your nerves for a talkative, fun-loving gamer who is extremely laid back and only ever gets serious under pressure. Brief Background – Unlike a lot of his friends, Lance didn't come from a family of intellects or elites or really anything interesting at all. His father worked as a grocer in Lance's home town while his mother taught a first grade class at an elementary school. They never had tons of money, so Lance grew up loving the outdoors and quality time spent with friends playing sports or swimming at the beach. He was just as fun-loving as a child as he is now in his young adult life. When he was in his early teens, his parents divorced and he moved in with his mother and her new boyfriend far away from his old home, where his father now resided alone. In this new place, Lance found himself lost in a crowd of eggheads and elitists who were much different from him. He tried to be friendly, but he couldn't really find a niche in this new environment. That is when he learned about the wonderful world of online gaming. Lance played all sorts of fun MMOs and met people all over the world, and he felt free and alive once again. And his new home didn't turn out so bad; for he made two close friends who also enjoyed gaming, and the three of them spent time together on and offline. It was from one of these close friends that Lance learned of "The Threshold of Kakophonia." A fantastical virtual world where anything is possible. And so his ToK Journey begins... --- Race – Veni Yan Class - Monk Profession – N/A Monk Skills Still Mind (Passive) 1/5: Dodge chance increases by 5% 2/5: Dodge chance increases by 10% 3/5: Dodge chance increases by 15% 4/5: Dodge chance increases by 20% 5/5: Dodge chance increases by 25% Paralyzing Blow (Active) The Monk is able to calculate an appropriate area to strike, utilizing mana with the attack, to temporarily paralyze an opponent. The time increases as the monk becomes more adept in the skill. 1/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 2 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds 2/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 3 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds 3/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 4 seconds. Cool down: 15 seconds 4/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 5 seconds. Cool down: 20 seconds. 5/5: Foe remains paralyzed for 6 seconds. Cool down: 30 seconds. Crippling Strike (Active) The Monk strikes the opponent in a debilitating fashion as to cripple it, thus reducing its effective strength for a short time. 1/5: Foe deals 10% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 15 seconds 2/5: Foe deals 20% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 15 seconds 3/5: Foe deals 30% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 20 seconds 4/5: Foe deals 40% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 20 seconds 5/5: Foe deals 50% less damage per attack for 5 seconds. Cool down: 25 seconds Flawless Form (Active) The Monk attacks with sharp, quick strikes that increase the monk's critical hit chance for a short duration. 1/5: Critical hit chance increases by 5% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 2/5: Critical hit chance increases by 10% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 3/5: Critical hit chance increases by 15% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 4/5: Critical hit chance increases by 20% against target. Cool down: 1 minute 5/5: Critical hit chance increases by 25% against target. Cool down: 1 minute Monk’s Aura (Passive) The Monk is able to project a certain aura, generated by their focus on mana, which grants a level of magical resistance. 1/5: The Monk takes 10% less damage from magical attacks. 2/5: The Monk takes 15% less damage from magical attacks. 3/5: The Monk takes 20% less damage from magical attacks. 4/5: The Monk takes 25% less damage from magical attacks. 5/5: The Monk takes 30% less damage from magical attacks. Aura Slam (Active) A short range attack that deals no damage but produces an astral arm from the user’s physical body to strike the ground around an opponents(s) within a small distance and aggro them. With each mastery of the technique, the range increases slightly and there is a chance to stun the opponent(s). 1/5: 3-foot range. Cool down: 5 sec 2/5: 5-foot range. Cool down: 5 seconds 3/5: 5-foot range. 10% chance to stun for 2 seconds. Cool down: 5 seconds 4/5: 8-foot range. 20% chance to stun for 2 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds 5/5: 10-foot range. 30% chance to stun for 2 seconds. Cool down: 10 seconds
56,013	1,534	16	1,215	472	Hybrid post between Keia Vewyx and Bikko. Never. 3k word count. Ever. Again. " There were questions she wanted to ask... About the sky that stretched forever, who's beauty was as eternal as it's cool blue reach. How long would it take before someone would first fly the course of it's lonely tale? How cool would its gentle winds be, as they wraps around her? Could there be happiness in these skies? In something so blue? " A soft smile. A grim grin. Could there be happiness in these skies? In something untrue? How strong can its terrible gales blow, until it affects performance? How high can one soar before the game forces them back down within its invisible walls? About the many different skies that existed in this world, their images stretching further and further. These were the answers he sought... " ... An unexpected bite from the small beak disturbed the thoughts of the giant man, an uncomfortable numbness slithering up his spine to educate him of this world's pain. There was an irritation in his gesture as he unfolded his arms and pushed the owners of the beaks away, though the chickens and their young did not seem daunted by this action. If anything they seemed more excited. A gentle breeze distracted his mind from the chicks, pushing lightly against his statuesque and unmoving form in the center of the chicken coop. He knew that the people he waited for were not coming, and yet Ohka continued to wait. Despite the annoyances of the beaked inhabitants of this fenced-in community and the knowledge of his futile endeavors, he still held onto a vain hope that he was wrong. So he sat there and waited, watching as the sea of wheat outside the feathered prison swayed softly in the light wind. Ohka sighed wearily, and then as if in response... ...the fields whistled... ...Guiding her. Calling to her. To Kanami. It urged her forward as she followed the wind carved path, eager to break from the golden maze that she had so carelessly found herself in. Her steps quickly gathered momentum, her vision blurred as the wheat spun around her. Then it stopped. The silence vanished as voices flooded the air. The musical choir of society. Each note was of a different scale. Each step, a different note. Each soul, a different step. Then she heard the chirping. Kanami’s mind grounded as her senses receded inwards and her focus changed accordingly. She found herself staring at the large man before her, flocked by a sea of yellow cotton balls. His eyes met hers as the breeze hushed the air around them once more. 'A NPC?' He wondered. 'No, she doesn't look like she lives here; her outfit is similar to mine. A player. But why is she here?' he quickly remembered that he was sitting in the middle of a chicken coop and promptly rose, a few small yellow balls raining down from his lap and retreating to the larger hens. "I'm... waiting, for someone," his gruff voice escaped involuntarily, "A friend, he... I mean, he probably isn't coming but I was just-" He clenched his jaw to keep it from opening again. After a brief moment he cleared his throat and, regaining his composure, started over, "This is where my friends and I met in when we played other MMO games. It... It's a habit now." She watched as he struggled to contain what his embarrassment, his striking features softened by his sudden stutters and gentle surroundings. It was absurd. Absurd how he felt the need to explain himself, how he seemed to desire for her to simply move along and ignore everything that slipped out of his mouth. She burst out into laughter, causing him to cringe. He was an idiot, she giggled in her mind. A fool. A clown! "Why? W-why would you do this?" choking with laughter, the Nobelle planted herself against the wall. He looked like he was going to say something, but instead grunted and looked away. "So...really," she continued, her fit ending, "What are you doing here?" "I told you already. I am- was waiting for a friend," he reiterated irritatably. Ah, that's no good. He remembered that his usual attitude left him alone or banned from previous MMO games. What was all that practicing in the mirror before if he wasn't going to use it? Exhaling to calm himself, he forced a strained smile and tried returning her question, "What are you doing here?" "The wind blew in this direction," she stated casually, eyeing the figure before her cautiously. He was struggling to contain his anger, she thought. He was a bomb that was afraid of blowing up. "So I just tagged along." As repulsive as the smile made him look, it intrigued Kanami. It felt strangely familiar. Regardless, she still felt as awkward looking at his forged smile as he felt keeping it on his face. A chill ran down her spine as she looked away from the figure before waving her hand at him as if dispeling a foul odor. "Put that away before you hurt someone! You should really considering fixing the way you express your anger you know!" His pitiful smile immediately flipped into an angry grimace upon hearing those words, and though he wanted to say otherwise he knew she was not mistaken. His hands balled up into trembling fists, an action that lit up her eyes as she watched him. She felt as if there was a beauty in his stuggle of control, a primitive joy that toyed with her thoughts. He was infuriated when he thought of the time that he wasted waiting for friends that would not show, of how some girl he just encountered revealed his pitiful attempts to hide his flaws so blatantly, and of how easily he was seen through! He wondered why he waited here in the first place when he knew that his friend had already started playing without him. "What... a... waste of time!" he snarled angrily, an action to which Kanami watched with bated breath. Their feathered company scattered in terror at the man's rage-filled growl, launching away from the small coop and anywhere else that meant away from the towering human. Unlike the chickens however, she was not as phased by his outburst. In place of that fear, there was interest. An entire wheat fields supply of it. "Forgive me... " she spoke softly as a sea of feathers rained around, "I-I didn't wish to upset you." "Then you shouldn't-!" he started, but quickly cut himself off. Watch your temper, he warned himself mentally, or else this'll just be a repeat of before. "It's fine," he exhaled as he forced himself to relax. Kanami smiled. "Just... watch yourself, alright? Don't bother people for no reason." The inhabitants of the chicken coop dodged his feet as leapt over its small fence. Surprised, she flinched as he turned away from her and headed towards the town center. "Just go back to doing what you came here to do." A sense adrenaline seized her. Like an addict stripped of her drug Kanami reached out, desperately trying to salvage the relationship with the oaf of a man. It wasn't a need for her to communicate with the brute, but rather an intense desire. "I'm not sure what to do!" the girl managed, her neon blue eyes charged daggers as her hand firmly set itself on the oaf's shoulder, stopping him. "I wasn't really up to anything besides..." Her uncertainty embarassed her, even Naomi was always decisive in her actions regardless of how the scenario presented itself. He silently waited for her to finish. "Well...wandering around." "O-oh. Well, most of us are just wandering around. It is a new game, right? Just like any other RPG or MMO," he said as he carefully removed her hand, a little confused as to why she had a problem with it. "Anyways... You can try a quest if you are totally lost. They're probably a few just in town." Not knowing of what else to say, he waved and continued walking away from her, a little brisker this time. The distance grew between the two. "I-I've never played a video game before!" she confessed boldly, stopping him in his tracks. She froze. And as he began to turn around, the girl quickly bent over to caress a chicklet that had followed the two daringly, eager to avoid facing whatever response the man had in store for her. "Never- never played," he repeated to himself in confusion. Recalling that he wasn't alone, he cleared his throat distractedly and questioned, "You've never played any game before? None at all?" Having already embarrassed herself by revealing the answer to his question, steam seemed to visibly rise from the small hunched over figure. "I-I've played games before!" she declared harshly as he crossed his arms, "Just not video games..." He wondered for a moment why she was playing Threshold of Kakophonia if she didn't even have any experience in non-VR MMO or RPG games, but people have to start somewhere. An idea of redemption crawled into his mind, something to make up for all his PKing and bans from prevous MMO experiences. Using a fake cough to regain her attention from the chick, he offered her help. "There's usually a tutorial in games, but I guess since this is the first game using virtual reality they probably couldn't add it in. If that's so, I suppose I can... uh, help you until you get on your feet. I mean, it wouldn't be fun if you didn't know how to play, right? And you've already bought the game! And, uh... Yeah. I can help you. For a little while." He noticed her intensive glare as he spoke, taking extra precaution to avoid looking straight at her. He recalled how smooth it had sounded in his head, but now... it was embarassing. However, to be helping someone instead of fighting with them was an experience too good to pass up. Imagining himself looking like a good person instead of a violent delinquent, it almost gave him a goofy grin but he managed to withhold it. At least for now. "But I am still going to play with my friends alright?" he quickly added. "After you know how to play, I mean!" There it was again, she thought. What would have been a plain natural moment was twisted by his personality into something so shamelessly entertaining. "You know you could just say you're helping me and left it at that..." she chimed harmlessly, "It's a noble thing you're doing, helping a stranger like me." "Usually, your average stranger knows how to play the game they bought," he grumbled, but his features were gentler than before. He watched her continue to play with the strange ball of fluff that refused to leave her hand, before looking in a different direction and muttered softly, "It's obvious to help someone in need..." Being called noble, he felt good. Realization hit him, immediately breaking him from his brief joy as he spun around to look at her face-to-face. "You at least know what HP is, right? EXP? Dungeon diving?" He already expected her answers to be less than satisfactory, but he wanted to make sure that she wasn't a complete airhead that didn't even know what MMO meant. Of course, her only answer was: "Hmmm..." Silence prevailed as the small chick chirped softly in her hand as if giving her the answers. Ohka waited impatiently, tapping his foot and stretching his neck, accompanied by a muted crackling, in anticipation. "...doesn't HP mean health points and EXP, expertise? Is Dungeon diving when you run into a dungeon?" Close enough. He nodded at her answers, glad that he picked up at least someone with common sense and a good guess. "My name is... my username is Ohka. O-H-K-A. Easy enough. Give me yours, too, so that we can add each other to our friends list. It'd make it easier to keep our eyes on each other that way." Ohka raised his arm and motioned for her to follow him as he started walking along the town's edge. Standing up, Kanami tucked the small chick into her loose pockets before walking besides him and staring at him with a knowing smile. "You could just say you wanted to be friend!" she declared as her eyes spied the icon of two hands shaking near the corner of her screen. He opened his mouth to object, but instead managed to hold down his anger and waited for her name. A dull transparent window suddenly lunged out at Kanami when she pressed the icon, causing her eyes to flare up with awe. Fumbling with the keypad, her fingers finally managed to sew together the four letters. "My name's Kanami," she mused when she had finished, "K-A-N-A and me with an i instead of an e, but you can call me whatever you want." Though Ohka hesitated at the end of her spelling instructions, he managed to finish at the same time Kanami did. Their respective usernames materialized above them, hovering just a few inches above their heads. Nodding somberly at their progress, Ohka decided that it would be easier for them both if they worked on the same quests. "So what now Okami?" "Okami? No, Ohka," he firmly restated, wearing a slightly confused expression. He thought of a way to both answer her question and solve his problem. "You should join my party, Kanami," he instructed calmly. "Sure thing Okami, how do I d-" She watched as another box appeared before her. Dazed for a second, Kanami stared at the screen blankly. "A-are you confessing to me Okami?" "Wha-?! I just met you! There's no way that I-" He panicked, quite clearly bewildered that she somehow managed to misinterpret the party invintation in such a way. "I mean, look, you're a- It's a Party Invite!" he struggled, remembering that she was a novice and probably didn't know what a party was. "A group, a band of adventurers, we work together on the same quests, the same missions! We help each other out, that's it! It's- It isn't..." He exhaled angrily, trying to calm himself and focus on his original goal. "Just, join. You join, I help you get better. Alright? It-" "Okay!" Having gotten the response she sought, the Nobelle tapped the small x indicating her acceptance to his proposal. "You promise to take care of me right Okami?" "I said I'd help you get better, didn't I?" Even if he was a little less comfortable now after Kanami's stunt. "Ohhhhh, Okami. You are so terribly nice. So where to?" "We should first find a quest. That's the first step in most MMO games," he explained, still wary of any more shenanigans she had in store. "So how do these MMO games work, Okami-senpai?" "That's... a difficult question," Ohka confessed, folding his arms and looking up at the pale blue sky as he walked. After a moment of pondering her question, he decided to try answering, "I guess, to start..." ...and so Ohka spoke and Kanami listened, or at least they attempted to. More often than not, the man found the girl's attention stolen away by any sudden changes in atmosphere, be it a bee or villagers carting barrels. Anything that could catch her attention or distract her, did. First it was a flock of geese, then a group of school children... Ohka rested his hand in his face several times. With every instance that her attention drifted away from him, Ohka would strike her softly on the head and start over with whatever he was lecturing on. Though, unfortunately more often than not, he would forget where he was at and instead start on a new subject. The breeze followed the two, as if interested in the strange lesson, but more importantly, the even stranger chemistry the two shared. They were compliments formed through contradictions... Companions discovered through isolation. And so time passed for the Nobelle student and her Human teacher, before they finally found themselves standing on a cobblestone road before a hustling crowd. Merchants pushed through the streets, eager to sell their goods to the onslaught of adventurers. Men and women; young and old; players and nonplayers all erupted in a sea of exchanges, be it with words, goods, or gestures. It was here that adventurers took their first small step into the vastness of Kakophonia. It was here they had arrived at their destination, the threshold if you will, that bridged together fantasy and reality. Believing this to be a good time for his lessons to end, Ohka scanned the crowd in search for NPCs with quests. It was much easier said than done, however, seeing as how the NPCs acted so lively and fluidly that they could be easily mistaken for players. Upon spotting a suitable target the man reached for his new companion... only to discover that she disappeared from his side. Though he was able to see over most of the heads in the crowd, the sheer number of people made it a daunting task to find just one. If not for the floating nametag, it would've been a seemingly hopeless task. Chasing the floating letters as they danced from side to side, he discovered his novice party member was drifting aimlessly among the crowd, weaving within the flow of its current, performing to the beat of footsteps and voices. Then she stopped. Kanami stepped from the crowd and into a strange meta-physical bubble surrounding a player... another Nobelle girl, lonesome and faded in her cold stone surroundings. People drifted on either side of her, either too involved or busy to notice or even care, for the small figure. It was as if they made reasons, justifications, obstacles...anything that made her impossibly hard to approach. But not Kanami apparently... A small sigh escaped his lips as he weaved through the sea of people, following his party member's lead before finally escaping from the sea of nameless players. ...she seemed to have a knack for discovering those who were alone, waiting for someone or something. Kanami started to stretch out her hand before Ohka gently planted his on her shoulder. "Kanami, we shouldn't-" "Nonsense. Do you enjoy chicken coops?" He grunted bitterly in response, but released her. The girl winked. "Don't be such a tsundere." Surprise touched his face, but it wasn't unpleasant. It was familiar... warm. "You sound like my sister." "Maybe you could introduce us sometime." "Ha. Never." ...and with that Kanami gently tapped the girl's shoulder.	IGN(In-Game Name) – Ohka Nickname – None Age – 19 Gender – Male Persona – Ohka is, frankly, an overly aggressive and violent person who tries to mean well. Although his favorite type of game is cooperative and he loves helping out, he often gets into trouble both online and off thanks to his confrontational behavior. He looks at ToK as a new start; not wanting to solo alone or be an outcast again, he has been working hard (in the mirror) at holding down his normally forceful disposition. Fortunately, he seems to have found a way to divert his hostile disposition into more constructive practices. Unfortunately, he hasn't tested it out on people yet. Brief Background – Ohka has been playing games ever since he could remember. It was an outlet for frustration and a center of enjoyment, yet it also allowed him to connect with people he had trouble with by himself. He was always a little ball of trouble, always energetic and extremely headstrong. Eventually it was discovered that he fought and argued for the sake of fighting, and physical exertion was thrilling to him. It's no wonder that he started attracting around more unsavory groups. However, ironically, he was actually a good kid with good marks on his tests and ambition to be a lawyer. Unfortunately, everything that came out of his mouth was wrong, how he moved his body was automatic, how he looked to others was cruel. Only a select few people could see past his aggressive behavior and see his more kind side, no matter how many times he denies it with a flushed face. One of his closer friends that he hung out with frequently introduced him to ToK. Though he had problems with MMOs before, most notably fighting other players that ended in PKs and bans all around, he was willing to try whatever his friend thought would be a good fit for him. He quickly got hooked on the game's hype and even bought some merchandise, some of which garnered some curious looks from other people much to his chagrin. Half dragged and half eagerly following his friend's lead, he was made to wait in a line 3 days before its release. When it finally was released and it was his turn to order, he suddenly remembered about a recent friend he made and how he did not see her talking to anyone other than himself. Before he knew it, he was walking out of the store with two of the same games in hand. His friend noted his second purchase and Ohka quickly explained that it was in case he broke the first one. Though his friend dropped the subject, when they both parted Ohka headed in a direction other than his house. One could swear that a faint smile took the place of his usually mean expression. To learn more details of his life, one would either have to be a really good friend or really, really, really persuasive (and pushy). --- Race – Human Class – Warrior Profession – None Base Passive – Hyper Tension The Warrior unlocks a boost to their physical prowess when they feel the rush of danger and crisis. At lowered health, the Warrior gains a bonus to their attack and defense proportional to the health they have lost, though the boons only start at when they are at half of their maximum health. 1/5 – Gain a 1% damage and defense bonus for every 2% of HP (starting at 50%) missing, up to a maximum of a 24% increase (25% at <1% HP). 2/5 – Gain a 1% damage and defense bonus for every 1% of HP (starting at 52%) missing, up to a maximum of a 51% increase (52% at <1% HP). 3/5 – Gain a 3% damage and defense bonus for every 2% of HP (starting at 55%) missing, up to a maximum of a 81% increase (82% at <1% HP). 4/5 – Gain a 2% damage and defense bonus for every 1% of HP (starting at 57%) missing, up to a maximum of a 113% increase (114% at <1% HP). 5/5 – Gain a 5% damage and defense bonus for every 2% of HP (starting at 60%) missing, up to a maximum of a 149% increase (150% at <1% HP). Lvl 1 Active – Challenge A special taunt that does no damage, however the afflicted enemy targets only the warrior who utilized Challenge. This enemy will not be aggroed by anyone else for as long as this is active. 1/5 – Lasts 10 seconds. 30 second cooldown. 2/5 – Lasts 15 seconds. 30 second cooldown. 3/5 – Can be performed on two enemies before cooldown. Lasts 20 seconds. 25 second cooldown. 4/5 – Can be performed on two enemies before cooldown. Lasts 25 seconds. 25 second cooldown. 5/5 – Can be performed on three enemies before cooldown. Last 30 seconds. 20 second cooldown. Lvl 5 Active – Bloodlust The Warrior enters a frenzy in which they use their own health instead of their ki to perform techniques. In addition, the techniques have a lower cost than they normally would and they gain a small amount of health upon killing enemies. Automatically deactivates when HP is less than 10% of maximum or there are no enemies. When deactivated, a cooldown of 90 seconds takes place. 1/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 60% cost 2/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 55% cost, 2% health regained when an enemy is slain 3/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 50% cost, 4% health regained when an enemy is slain 4/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 45% cost, 6% health regained when an enemy is slain 5/5 – Techniques use HP instead of ki, 40% cost, 8% health regained when an enemy is slain Lvl 10 Active – Guillotine The warrior leaps at an enemy and inflicts major damage to a single enemy. If the enemy is killed by this move, it has no cooldown. 1/5 – 4 feet range, 30 second cooldown 2/5 – 7 feet range, 25 second cooldown 3/5 – 10 feet range, 20 second cooldown 4/5 – 15 feet range, 15 second cooldown 5/5 – 20 feet range, 10 second cooldown Lvl 15 Active – Berserk The Warrior enters a frenzied state, dramatically increasing their offense strength and attack speed for a short time. Battle fatigue takes its toll afterwards during the 20 second cooldown, reducing their speed and attack during the duration. 1/5 – Warrior gains +20% physical strength and attack speed for 10 seconds; suffers -15% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 2/5 – Warrior gains +30% physical strength and attack speed for 15 seconds; suffers -20% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 3/5 – Warrior gains +40% physical strength and attack speed for 20 seconds; suffers -25% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 4/5 – Warrior gains +50% physical strength and attack speed for 30 seconds; suffers -30% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. 5/5 – Warrior gains +120% physical strength and attack speed for 12 seconds; suffers -60% movement speed and attack damage during cooldown. Cooldown duration doubled. Lvl 20 Passive - Battle Frenzy The Warrior dances to the song of battle, a bloodthirsty technique that creates an intimidating aura that only grows the longer they fight. It only activates once the warrior enters a certain flow in the battle, but he must be vigilant to stay in that flow: even 2 seconds of not attacking that enemy, whether the warrior stopped to use an item or technique or was hit, immediately disenchants them and they must begin anew. 1/5 – Activates after 2 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 1 second stun when hit, 1% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 20% max. (20 hits for full benefit) 2/5 – Activates after 2 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.8 second stun when hit, 2% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 50% max. (25 hits for full benefit) 3/5 – Activates after 3 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.7 second stun when hit, 2.5% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 75% max. (30 hits for full benefit) 4/5 – Activates after 3 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.6 second stun when hit, 3% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 150% max. (50 hits for full benefit) 5/5 – Activates after 5 consecutive hits on the same enemy, 5% chance for 0.5 second stun when hit, 4% attack speed and damage increase every hit. 300% max. (75 hits for full benefit) --- V.2 edit: Shaved off two years in his age so it isn't as difficult to juggle job (hunting) and gaming. (I know it too well) V.3 edit: Changed Battle Frenzy from crowd control to duel. Not enough reward to put your points into originally. Also reworded Bloodlust. V.4 edit: More fixings upon the illusive things called words. Boosted Guillotines 3/5, 4/5, and 5/5 ranges. V.5 edit: Typo fixing. Renamed Unleashed Instinct to Hyper Tension, "because it sounds hyper-strong." V.6 edit: Berserk 4/5 and 5/5 changed. 4/5 is longer term with smaller advantages and consequences, 5/5 is shorter term with higher advantages and consequences and longer cooldown. V.7 edit: Boost to Hyper Tension and Bloodlust. Added cooldown to Bloodlust. V.8 edit: Would you like some Dere with that Tsun?
56,014	1,534	17	763	2,065	It was festive. So much...activity. Liliz had lived in a 'busy' city before, but people rarely ventured out on the streets. In a world where cars were the norm and no one had the time to walk on their own two feet, she had never seen more that five others on the streets at once. Compared to that, the 'small' town of Windswept Oasis, which she assumed was to have the image of an idyllic, countryside town, was much more active, an uncountable amount of players and NPCs milling about, as the players tried to figure out where they should go to get their quests and the NPCs seemed to be busy doing other stuff. Heck, now that she thought about it, the white-haired girl couldn't even tell players and NPCs apart, with the only indication being the fact that players wore rags and NPCs wore normal clothes. It looked as if the town was being invaded by job-seeking hobos, actually, an image that the young girl found amusing. Smiling to herself as she wandered through town, with more of the attitude of a tourist sightseeing than an adventurer looking for easy money, she tried a couple of odd hand signals, wondering whether they would do anything. They didn't and after a few more failed attempts, she realized that it was better for her just to use her HUD. Pressing the 'scroll' button that was right below her HP and Ki bars, her mouth opened in a small 'ah' as a window came up, a light blue circular message box with an arrow in the center. Was that supposed to be herself? Using one hand to press 'down' on the message box and keep it in place, Liliz then turned around the rest of her body and smiled slightly as the 'direction' that the arrow pointed also went that way. Yep, that was her. Amongst the others around her, Liliz could see that she was apparently the only person thus far that had stumbled upon the map function. It seemed like it was something that had to be done manually though, mapping out the world by themselves. Seemed a bit tedious, but it was also a dash of realism that she enjoyed. Placing her index finger on the screen, onto the 'arrow' that was herself, Liliz took in a deep breath, and began to walk, tracing the path of one of the main, cobblestone roads of Windswept Oasis, marking down any notable locations as she passed by them. A blacksmith woman that was swamped by male adventurers giving her nails, hammers, and iron ingots. A bearded potter who was unintentionally scaring a little Nobelle girl. A mapseller who seemed to be making a profit...selling physical, scrolled up maps. An inn that seemed more high scale than most other buildings, bearing the name of 'Watercolor Paradise'. A small food stall that was selling discount meat ball skewers. A whole avenue that seemed to be filled with makeshift stalls, merchants laying their vanity items on richly embroidered carpets. It was only ten, maybe fifteen minutes at best, but she had already marked out quite a few interesting areas, and even went as far as to mark out 'openings' to other major streets, remembers for her to explore later. Who knew that mapping out a town, of all things, would be so much fun? There was truly a sense of 'exploration', of seeing new faces, of watching professions at work that were obslete in the real world. And through her exploration, Liliz had come to the conclusion that the 'beginner' quest was that of a delivery quest, most likely to just have people walk around and get used to doing so. There were a few players who were travelling in fancy mounts such as cash shop cars and ostriches, but the density of other players made such things rather undesirable. She grinned as one particularly stubborn player was trying to urge his beast-mount to just bulldoze other players over, but either it was part of AI programming or some outside law, but the mount refused to run the other hobos over. But, back to the problem at hand, that of actually getting some questing done. Oh, wait, that was easy. She just had to latch on to another player, and join their party to leech off their own quest completion! And the last place that she had observed as a 'quest completion' area was the Blacksmith Lady. Referring to her handy-dandy map with a cocky smirk, pleased that her work had already reaped her some benefits, Liliz adopted her usual running posture once more, and ducked and wove through the crowd, cutting towards the blacksmith's shop. It took her no time to find a player who was also making a rather obvious move towards the smithery. Running in front of a raggedly dressed player with weird, dark-blue hair (even though she wasn't one to talk with her white hair), Liliz said with a refreshing grin and an extended hand, “Hey there! You're a player, right? I'm Liliz! Let's party up for questing! What's your name?"	Nickname – Lily Age - 15 Gender - Female Description – Liliz was not someone who originally played MMOs. Even with all those exciting gaming developments stretching around her, she was the type of person who just couldn't see the point in it. Virtual reality may be realistic, but in the end, it wasn't a 'real' world. Honestly, she couldn't find any interest in doing such things, and that girl has a muted interested in game related things. A loud-mouthed individual who's full of criticism, Liliz enjoys sports and camping, even when the only forests left on Earth were government-protected national parks. She likes challenges, and is obssessed with the world that once was, the world where there were still hidden things. Now, the only place left in the world is space, and space didn't have new species of animals or plants. A barbarian of an adventurer with no sense of etiquette, Liliz is a girl born in the wrong era, someone who, despite her best efforts, is slowly getting crushed by reality. Her family was filled with intellectuals, and her oddity simply caused her to become isolated from them. Though her father supported her, Liliz could tell that he was displeased with his daughter being a tomboy. Those days, tomboys were simply delinquents, for the more adventurous things, such as climbing old buildings and diving in shallow coves was no longer possible. She occupied herself with physical activity, yet could not find any true, lasting happiness. It was a tiresome, suppressing life. That was the fate that he saved her from. Not directly, but indirectly. In her eighth grade, she had a crush on a boy, an exciting prospect. She fell in love more for the sake of doing so, so she could experience something she hadn't done before. It was fun, heart-pounding, watching him from afar with rose-tinted glasses, and as she continued to watch him, never able to get the courage to actually say 'hi', she learned of his interests. A fascination? An obssession? Liliz knew nothing about this Threshold of Kakophonia, but she did know that she liked the way he looked when he spoke of the thing that interested him so much. Apparently, he was one of the few beta testers, and his IGN was Kikusa. That was nice to know. And when that game was released, Liliz used her New Year's money and some connections to get a copy of the game. Maybe she wouldn't be able to speak to him in real life, but perhaps in a virtual world, she can slowly get closer to him? With those thoughts in mind, she logged in. The first love of her life was a boy with messy, dark hair. The second love of her life was a world that could no longer exist on Earth. Race – Human Class - Warrior Profession – N/A Base Passive - Iron Spirit A percentage of the warrior's maximum ki pool value is converted into defense, lowering ki pool in exchange for higher defense. 1/5 6% of Ki Pool is converted into +6% base defense 2/5 12% of Ki Pool is converted into +12% base defense 3/5 18% of Ki Pool is converted into +18% base defense 4/5 24% of Ki Pool is converted into +24% base defense 5/5 30% of Ki Pool is converted into +30% base defense. Lvl 1 Active - Crater Dive The Warrior leaps into the air, before crashing towards the targetted location, causing moderate physical damage to the target and a small shockwave AOE to nearby enemies. Has a fast casting time and low cooldown. 1/5 Leap distance maxes at 10ft, and shockwave radius is 5ft. 2/5 Leap distance maxes at 20ft, and shockwave radius is 7ft. 3/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. 4/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 20% chance of a 2s stun. 5/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 40% chance of a 2s stun. Lvl 5 Active - Zero Impact The Warrior strikes the target with the flat of their blade. Does no damage, but causes a knockback of 10ft and aggros the target. Single-mob skill, but the effect of the taunt can be passed on if that monster hits another monster. 1/5 Ki cost decreases by 20%. 2/5 Ki cost decreases by 30%. 3/5 Ki cost decreases by 50%. 4/5 Has 30% chance of creating a 5ft shockwave acting as a taunt. 5/5 Has 50% chance of creating a 7ft shockwave acting as a taunt. Lvl 10 Active - Wheel of Pain The Warrior spins to win, dealing AOE damage to all around them for five seconds, being stationary while doing so. There is a minor suction effect while the spell is being cast, drawing in nearby mobs, and the damage of Wheel of Pain is dependent on the number of monsters being attacked. 1/5 Damage increases by 5% per monster. 2/5 Damage increases by 10% per monster. 3/5 Damage increases by 15% per monster. 2% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 4/5 Damage increases by 20% per monster. 4% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 5/5 Damage increases by 25% per monster. 5% of total damage dealt is lifeleeched. Lvl 15 Passive - Knight's Unity The Warrior gains more physical attack damage and speed in accordance to the number of people there are in the party, with a maximum number of 20 other people. 1/5 - 1% increase in speed and damage per person. 2/5 - 2% increase in speed and damage per person. 3/5 - 3% increase in speed and damage per person. 4/5 - 4% increase in speed and damage per person. 5/5 - 5% increase in speed and damage per person. Lvl 20 Active - King Slayer King Slayer is an active that has two different effects, dependent on the amount of HP the enemy has left. In the 'Battle' phase, King Slayer is a high cooldown, low Ki cost spell that strikes the target's leg, severely decreasing their movement speed for a short amount of time. In the 'Execute' phase, King Slayer becomes a low cooldown, high Ki cost spell in which the Warrior swings at the target's neck, causing extremely high physical damage to the target. 1/5 - 30% movement speed decrease for 3s. 2/5 - 40% movement speed decrease for 3s. 3/5 - 50% movement speed decrease for 3s. 30% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 4/5 - 60% movement speed decrease for 3s. 40% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 5/5 - 70% movement speed decrease for 3s. 50% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes.
56,015	1,534	18	130	423	Two figures approached Amai, she saw this vaguely since she was staring at the dusty cobblestone below. The two seemed to be acquainted, probably friends of some sort from a past game or in the real world. As they drew closer they exchanged words, maybe bickering? She couldn't really tell as her focus was on being silent, drawing attention to herself might push them to try talking to her. And that was the last thing she wanted happen, Someone tapped her shoulder? This was the last thing she expected to happen, how should she react? Without thinking about her actions, Amai instinctually raised her head head to see who was tapping her shoulder with widened eyes and a red face. The first thing she saw was a fellow Nobelle girl with purple hair, she was the one responsible for touching her. Amai's response to this was a jolting motion backwards slamming her back against the wall behind her resulting in the girl bumping her head. It may have been a bit dramatic for a simple touching of the shoulder, but it was totally nerve wracking to her that it happened so suddenly, her heart rate increased and she began to breathe heavily. But quickly after this strange episode, she calmed down and looked past the girl to the dark-haired human male behind her. It was the friend of this nobelle, or rather, that was the vibe they gave off as they were obviously acquainted. She moved her hand towards the message icon that she left out to use, just for such an occasion like this- pressing it lightly with her index finger and opening the text UI that had several options. There were tabs; and . Amai came to the conclusion that the Local tab would work similar to voice chat, but would involve text somehow. So, she typed through the hologram of a keyboard that the UI created shortly below and a small window appeared in front of her. The window would be able to be seen by nearby players, and after she finished typing a few dots appeared before registering what she had typed and showing it to the players that approached her. "Hello." Is all it said at first, Amai liking how the system worked 'a lot'. Enough in fact to push her to type a bit more, communicating through text was so~ much easier than speaking, less stressful, less tiring. "Anything I could help you with? Um... Or anything you'd like to ask me?" She pressed enter, the keyboard disappearing and the window remaining in order for response, or until closed by the players themselves.	IGN(In-Game Name) – Amai Nickname – Emi Age – 17 Gender – Female Persona – Amai is a very shy girl, her preferred form of communication with people is without physical contact. Often staying away from things like voice or video chat, preferring text communication more than anything. Though in retrospect, when she does communicate with people indirectly she seems like a cheerful girl, sounding upbeat and completely different. What would draw such a girl towards the VRMMO you might ask, well the answer is simple, peer pressure. With a girl who is shy within the common world, friends are indeed hard to make, so as they progressed she would need to keep up. And as they saw this rising star of a game arise, they believed it was time to move on from their old dreary mmo onto something new. The transition would be hard, and Amai is nervous- but we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Brief Background – At the age of seven, Amai was first introduced to online gaming as her mother screamed into her headset playing the popular MMO of her time Underworld Online at her work desk. As the little girl tugged at her mother’s sleeve for attention, the woman was too entranced by the battle she had been facing to noticed. Rather than get upset or cry, the young Amai was awed of the determined expression on her mother’s face. The following year, Amai asked for her own computer as a birthday present and in that year she played the same game as her mother, learning the basics and striving for greatness. She played the game religiously throughout her younger years, and by her last year of middle school she was in a top tier raiding guild. But the game she had gotten so good at was now many years old, even her mother had quit it to focus more on work. Though her guild lived on, flocking from one game to another until they found one they liked. They settled on Seven Blades, an action-combat mmo for a couple years, but then ToK was released. It was a VRMMO, something Amai had never tried before, it was scary but all of her friends were moving on. She didn’t want to be left behind, so along with the many who lifted anchor for this game- she started anew to defeat this games challenges like the rest. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Alchemist Profession – Will be added when chosen through RP. Alchemist Skills Anima – Stone The circle Anima is created giving life to that which the transmutation circle is written upon. Stone allows the Alchemist to summon force a stone golem that will serve the alchemist as a protector. Anima lingers until the transmutation circle is destroyed or the Alchemist is defeated in battle. 1/5 - Stone 2/5 - Granite 3/5 - Obsidian 4/5 - Mechanical 5/5 - Archon - Lvl Scales with Caster The stone golem's benefit to the party is off-tank capabilities and additional melee damage. They have above average health for a level 20 monster and are surprising tanky to support this. Stone Golems are silent and emotionless and obey only the alchemist's commands, though it is unknown what happens if the alchemist is defeated while a golem is still active. will do others as they come to play Aquas - Shower The transmutation circle Aquas is created, causing the ally it is cast upon to regain health per second as rain pours from the sky above them. The regenerative waters will continue to fall upon the targeted ally until 10% of their health has been regained from this ability, furthermore a puddle will be created under the allies' feet and will be left behind for 15 seconds, allies that pass through this puddle will be granted a small magic resistance increase for 5 seconds. 1/5 - 10% of Health cap to healing 2% every second for 5 seconds. 2/5 - 15% of Health cap to healing 3% every second for 5 seconds. 3/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 4% every second for 5 seconds. 4/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 5% every second for 4 seconds. 5/5 - Puddles created by Aquas now grant increased magic resistance for 10 seconds. Overclock* Increases all healing done by 10% for ten seconds, if a spell is not cast within the duration the Alchemist will be able to recast this spell again without triggering it's cooldown. Overclock* Deals increased damage inevitably. Frigoris – Glaciate The transmutation circle Frigoris is created, causing the surface it is written upon to slowly begin to freeze. Glaciate deals even damage regardless of the transmutation circle's time being created, though will do increased damage if another circle takes it's place causing an effect called Ice Rupture. Ice Rupture removes all freezing effects from enemies though dealing high damage beforehand. Frigoris will stay on it's destinaton until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Slow reduction of 2% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 2/5 - Slow reduction of 4% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 3/5 - Slow reduction of 5% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 4/5 - Ice Rupture no longer removes Freeze Effect. 5/5 - Increase damage to Ice Rupture. Overclock * Roots opponent to ground in ice for 2 seconds. Can only occur once. Tempesta – Tranquility The transmutation circle Tempesta is created, causing the surface it is written upon to grant all nearby allies a strengthening boon increasing movement speed and healing five health points every three seconds for thirty seconds. Upon it's completion the transmutation circle will vanish, Tempesta does not linger. 1/5 - Movement speed increased by 5% healing of 5% health per 3 seconds. 2/5 - Movement speed increased by 7% healing of 7% health per 3 seconds. 3/5 - Movement speed increased by 10% healing of 12% health per 3 seconds. 4/5 - Tranquility heals all party members for 10% of health on activation. 5/5 - Movement speed increased by 20% healing of 30% health per 3 seconds. Overclock* Refreshes cooldowns of nearby allies. Ignem – Smolder The transmutation circle Ignem is created causing the surface it is written upon to heat up quickly and weaken it's physical defenses by 10%. Additionally, if another Ignem spell is used in succession to Smolder the effects will last for 5 seconds afterwards. Ignem lingers on it's destination until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Duration 3 Seconds 2/5 - Duration 4 Seconds 3/5 - Duration 5 Seconds 4/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. 5/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. Overclock* Decreases enemy fire resistance. Philosopher's Stone: Active Philosopher's Stone allows the Alchemist to create 'huzzah' a Philosopher's Stone. It is an on use consumed item that stores a transmutation circle allowing one to be summoned quickly and without triggering any cooldowns. Once the item is consumed another can be created in twenty-four hours, and only a single Philosopher's Stone may be in the player's possession at a time. 1/5 - 24 Hour Cooldown + 30 Second Cast Time 2/5 - 12 Hour Cooldown + 15 Second Cast Time 3/5 - 6 Hour Cooldown + 7.5 Second Cast Time 4/5 - 3 Hour Cooldown + 3.75 Second Cast Time 5/5 - 1 Hour Cooldown + Instant Cast Time.
56,016	1,534	19	130	423	Post deleted.	IGN(In-Game Name) – Amai Nickname – Emi Age – 17 Gender – Female Persona – Amai is a very shy girl, her preferred form of communication with people is without physical contact. Often staying away from things like voice or video chat, preferring text communication more than anything. Though in retrospect, when she does communicate with people indirectly she seems like a cheerful girl, sounding upbeat and completely different. What would draw such a girl towards the VRMMO you might ask, well the answer is simple, peer pressure. With a girl who is shy within the common world, friends are indeed hard to make, so as they progressed she would need to keep up. And as they saw this rising star of a game arise, they believed it was time to move on from their old dreary mmo onto something new. The transition would be hard, and Amai is nervous- but we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Brief Background – At the age of seven, Amai was first introduced to online gaming as her mother screamed into her headset playing the popular MMO of her time Underworld Online at her work desk. As the little girl tugged at her mother’s sleeve for attention, the woman was too entranced by the battle she had been facing to noticed. Rather than get upset or cry, the young Amai was awed of the determined expression on her mother’s face. The following year, Amai asked for her own computer as a birthday present and in that year she played the same game as her mother, learning the basics and striving for greatness. She played the game religiously throughout her younger years, and by her last year of middle school she was in a top tier raiding guild. But the game she had gotten so good at was now many years old, even her mother had quit it to focus more on work. Though her guild lived on, flocking from one game to another until they found one they liked. They settled on Seven Blades, an action-combat mmo for a couple years, but then ToK was released. It was a VRMMO, something Amai had never tried before, it was scary but all of her friends were moving on. She didn’t want to be left behind, so along with the many who lifted anchor for this game- she started anew to defeat this games challenges like the rest. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Alchemist Profession – Will be added when chosen through RP. Alchemist Skills Anima – Stone The circle Anima is created giving life to that which the transmutation circle is written upon. Stone allows the Alchemist to summon force a stone golem that will serve the alchemist as a protector. Anima lingers until the transmutation circle is destroyed or the Alchemist is defeated in battle. 1/5 - Stone 2/5 - Granite 3/5 - Obsidian 4/5 - Mechanical 5/5 - Archon - Lvl Scales with Caster The stone golem's benefit to the party is off-tank capabilities and additional melee damage. They have above average health for a level 20 monster and are surprising tanky to support this. Stone Golems are silent and emotionless and obey only the alchemist's commands, though it is unknown what happens if the alchemist is defeated while a golem is still active. will do others as they come to play Aquas - Shower The transmutation circle Aquas is created, causing the ally it is cast upon to regain health per second as rain pours from the sky above them. The regenerative waters will continue to fall upon the targeted ally until 10% of their health has been regained from this ability, furthermore a puddle will be created under the allies' feet and will be left behind for 15 seconds, allies that pass through this puddle will be granted a small magic resistance increase for 5 seconds. 1/5 - 10% of Health cap to healing 2% every second for 5 seconds. 2/5 - 15% of Health cap to healing 3% every second for 5 seconds. 3/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 4% every second for 5 seconds. 4/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 5% every second for 4 seconds. 5/5 - Puddles created by Aquas now grant increased magic resistance for 10 seconds. Overclock* Increases all healing done by 10% for ten seconds, if a spell is not cast within the duration the Alchemist will be able to recast this spell again without triggering it's cooldown. Overclock* Deals increased damage inevitably. Frigoris – Glaciate The transmutation circle Frigoris is created, causing the surface it is written upon to slowly begin to freeze. Glaciate deals even damage regardless of the transmutation circle's time being created, though will do increased damage if another circle takes it's place causing an effect called Ice Rupture. Ice Rupture removes all freezing effects from enemies though dealing high damage beforehand. Frigoris will stay on it's destinaton until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Slow reduction of 2% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 2/5 - Slow reduction of 4% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 3/5 - Slow reduction of 5% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 4/5 - Ice Rupture no longer removes Freeze Effect. 5/5 - Increase damage to Ice Rupture. Overclock * Roots opponent to ground in ice for 2 seconds. Can only occur once. Tempesta – Tranquility The transmutation circle Tempesta is created, causing the surface it is written upon to grant all nearby allies a strengthening boon increasing movement speed and healing five health points every three seconds for thirty seconds. Upon it's completion the transmutation circle will vanish, Tempesta does not linger. 1/5 - Movement speed increased by 5% healing of 5% health per 3 seconds. 2/5 - Movement speed increased by 7% healing of 7% health per 3 seconds. 3/5 - Movement speed increased by 10% healing of 12% health per 3 seconds. 4/5 - Tranquility heals all party members for 10% of health on activation. 5/5 - Movement speed increased by 20% healing of 30% health per 3 seconds. Overclock* Refreshes cooldowns of nearby allies. Ignem – Smolder The transmutation circle Ignem is created causing the surface it is written upon to heat up quickly and weaken it's physical defenses by 10%. Additionally, if another Ignem spell is used in succession to Smolder the effects will last for 5 seconds afterwards. Ignem lingers on it's destination until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Duration 3 Seconds 2/5 - Duration 4 Seconds 3/5 - Duration 5 Seconds 4/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. 5/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. Overclock* Decreases enemy fire resistance. Philosopher's Stone: Active Philosopher's Stone allows the Alchemist to create 'huzzah' a Philosopher's Stone. It is an on use consumed item that stores a transmutation circle allowing one to be summoned quickly and without triggering any cooldowns. Once the item is consumed another can be created in twenty-four hours, and only a single Philosopher's Stone may be in the player's possession at a time. 1/5 - 24 Hour Cooldown + 30 Second Cast Time 2/5 - 12 Hour Cooldown + 15 Second Cast Time 3/5 - 6 Hour Cooldown + 7.5 Second Cast Time 4/5 - 3 Hour Cooldown + 3.75 Second Cast Time 5/5 - 1 Hour Cooldown + Instant Cast Time.
56,017	1,534	20	2,272	383	As Serina walked around, she found the town to be...absolutely jam-packed full of people. NPCs and players alike bustled about to accomplish whatever tasks it was that they needed to finish. Looking around, Serina noted a lot of the more ragged looking people, likely players, were carrying crates. This implied that some form of starter quest was available, however Serina didn't quite know how the mechanics of this worked. So, for now she aimlessly wandered the endless crowd of people, slipping through and creating a mental map of this town, learning where various places were. After Serina had gotten a basic feel for where everything was, she saw a man, apparently human but he may be something else since Serina didn't quite have a feel for the races' appearances yet. This man was struggling with a heavy keg, so naturally Serina darted over to help him. Taking part of the weight into her arms, she asked him "Hello sir, do you need any help?" The young man smiled and said "Oh yes, actually could you help me with something else? This keg is full of ale for the tavern, I was going to slip away and deliver it but if you could do it for me I can watch my shop instead. Do you mind?" A quest indicator appeared in the top-left of Serina's vision, though it vanished when she nodded and replied with a "Well, of course I can help!" With that, the man smiled, gave his thanks, and released his hold on the cask. Serina staggered briefly under the full weight of the cask but, with a loud grunt of effort, straightened out. She'd seen the tavern not too far away, so she began to slowly make her way there. Several males, apparently players, offered to help, but their smiles wreaked of lust so Serina turned them all down. After arriving at the Tavern 5 minutes later, she lugged it inside and the Barkeep ran to meet her. The Barkeep, thankfully a big burly man, took the cask from her and said "Thank ya little miss, I've been waiting on this cask of ale. I'll pay ya, but do you think you could help me with a bit more?" Serina nodded but took this chance to ask a "Local" about the various races "Umm, actually before I do, do you think you could explain a bit to me about the different people here? I mean like the Veni Yan and the Novbelle, I mean." The Barkeep nodded kindly and said "Well, alright missy, I think I can do that." With that, the quest indicator in her view reappeared but changed CHAPTER ONE: FROM MERCHANT TO MERCHANT COMPLETED CHAPTER TWO: THE WORLD AND IT'S PEOPLE IN PROGRESS "The Veni Yan are those magic types you may see running around, with their tattoos. Their big thing is castin elemental magic, you know like fire and what have you. I've never been a big fan of that stuff myself, but the Yan seem pretty big on it, so I guess there isn't really anything wrong with it. Their big thing is they hit like a ton of bricks, but if you get some good equipment, you can counter their elemental damage. I guess you could say they can be the toughest or the weakest out of us all." Serina nodded and took the time to commit this to memory while the Barkeep briefly took his leave to deposit the Keg on the counter. "It's strange, he's just like a person even though he must be an NPC, theres no way a player could already own a shop. I mean, I know the devs said that the NPCs would be indistinguishable from real people, but this is kinda scary." Just as this thought passed through her head, the barkeep returned from his errand. He paused for a moment, saying "Where was I? Oh yea, just finished with the Yan, right?" Serina was going to nod but he forged ahead, saying "Then theres the Nobelle, kinda the exact opposites of the Yan." "The Nobelle are usually a bit short-ish, or at least thats what I've been told. They aren't big on any kind of magic, not the Yan's and not like we do either with Ki, but you already know about that. Anywho, they make up for that by being really smart, and they make all kinds of tech to keep up with us and the Yan. Ya see, they fight in a few different ways. Some of em mix up some really crazy concoctions to hit with an element, like the Yan do. Others though, they fight with guns or with, umm whaddya call it, "Powered Arms" or something like that. So the Nobelle are really varied, no two are alike I don't think." Serina nodded along to this explanation and thanked the barkeep, then asking "Oh! What did you need my help with!" The barkeep chuckled softly and said "I need some nuts for a special Alcohol I brew. Do you think you could go outside the town to hunt up some squirrels?" Serina nodded but added "Ummm, I don't have any weapons." The Barkeep chuckled again, that seemed to be his trademark, and said "I'll help ya with that. I'll give you a couple types of weapons and you decide which you like best while your out, and I'll let ya keep it, sound fair?" Serina smiled her own trademark smile and nodded, saying "Sure!" She was then taken to the back by the bartender, who pointed to a small shelf of weapons, saying "These beauties are usually given to me to pay off tabs, when they don't have cash, so they don't have any sentimental value or nothing." With that, he selected an aging rifle and handed it to Serina, who equipped it immediately and read it's description. Outback Rifle: An aging rifle used by outdoorsmen for years. Held together by careful maintenance over the years, that doesn't mean it's effective.. She was then handed an equally aging sword, which she put in her inventory for the moment, whose description was Rusted Longsword: No doubt some old hero's weapon of choice in his last battle as a soldier, this weapon may hold sentimental value but it hold little else. It'll do it's job, but that doesn't mean it'll do it well With these weapons, she left the bar and walked outside, ready to finish her first quest as her quest marker again came up. CHAPTER ONE: MERCHANT TO MERCHANT COMPLETED CHAPTER TWO: THE WORLD AND IT'S PEOPLE COMPLETED CHAPTER THREE: SMALL GAME HUNTINGIN PROGRESS	Appearance - IGN(In-Game Name) – Serina Nickname – Shortie Age - 15 Gender - Female Persona – Fiery and energetic, there is never a shortage of energy with Amy, and the same is true of Serina. She's always ready to jump in and do things, no matter what those things may be, so long as they don't conflict with her morals. She is a very fun girl who always has her mind firmly rooted in the present, not giving the future much thought. She is quick to anger, but just as quick to forgive unless it's really serious. Her height is a particularly sore spot for her, as she has been made fun of for it for a long time. She acts very tough, but on the inside she's actually rather emotionally fragile, but she's afraid to let others know that. Brief Background – Serina, or real name Amy Burnette, grew up in the stereotypical small town USA, Westboro, Kentucky. A small town with one stoplight, a Food Giant and little else, except for the people living in it. Amy was always a short girl, and she got picked on a lot when she was younger. Her father was the manager of the local bank, so the family always had plenty of money. However, Amy's mother was a U.S Marine, one of the first women to become a combat Marine in fact. Amy's mother, Ann-Marie Burnette, always taught her daughter not to let others bug her, and to always make sure to act strong. Growing up, Amy took this to heart and began to participate in any sport she could to prove to others that height wasn't everything. Of course, the only sport she truly excelled at was running, since most of what height she had was leg. She was an excellent sprinter, but also an excellent distance runner as well. So, she stuck with running and ran both Track and Cross Country, however in Middle School she discovered another sport. She was an excellent shot, as it turned out, so she joined the school's Shooting Team. Balancing three sports teams and her grades would've swamped many people, but not Amy. She was able to keep up with all three, getting better and better at running on her own, and shooting with aid from her mother. However, like most young girls, Amy was sure she fell in love when she was in highschool, her freshman year to be exact. This boy was 16, and his name Mack Wilks, a boy on her Cross Country team. However, unlike her, he didn't have much else in his life, so he was a gamer. When she found this out, she tried to pick up gaming in her off-time, which she had plenty of since none of her three sports were ever in season at the same time. She found that she enjoyed gaming, though she still loved her sports dearly and had absolutely no intention of being a gamer. However, when she found out that Mack was playing Threshold under the IGN of "RJ", she found herself buying VR gear and Threshold of Kakophonia. She came to the game for Mack, but she stays in it because it's fun. Race – Human Class - Gunslinger Profession – To be filled out as the RP Progresses Firearms Expertise - Passive Lv 1: Reduce Weapon Cooldown time by 2% Lv 5: Reduce cooldown by 8% Lv 10: Reduce cooldown by 16% Lv 15: Reduce cooldown by 35% Lv 20: Reduce cooldown by 45% Precise Shot - Active Take 2.5 seconds to aim your shot in exchange for increased Critical chance and damage, 15 second cooldown 1/5 10% increased critical chance, 10% increased Crit Damage 2/5: 20% increased critical chance, 25% increased crit damage 3/5 30% increased critical chance, 40% increased crit damage 4/5 40% increased crit chance, 65% Increased crit damage 5/5 50% increased crit chance, 80% Increased crit damage Fast Mover - Passive Lv 1: 4% Increased movement speed Lv 5: 10% Increased movement speed Lv 10: 15% Increased movement speed Lv 15: 25% Increased movement speed Lv 20: 40% Increased movement speed Guns of the Eastwood - Active When dual wielding, the gunslinger can activate this ability to increase base damage for 10 seconds, with a percentage multiplier governing damage. The skill can be deactivated early to decrease the cooldown by 25%. 1/5: Base damage increased by 10%, cooldown of 10 seconds 2/5: Base damage increased by 20%, Cooldown of 15 Seconds 3/5: Base damage increased by 30%, cooldown of 20 seconds 4/5: Base damage increased by 40%, cooldown of 20 seconds 5/5: Base damage increased by 50%, cooldown of 20 seconds Bullettime - Active The Gunslinger's immense reflexes and speed kick in, causing time to appear to slow down by the gunner's perception. This enables the gunner to dodge some basic attacks as well as Skill-shot style abilities. Cooldown of 2 minutes. 1/5: Effect lasts 15 seconds 2/5: Effect lasts 20 seconds 3/5 Effect lasts 25 seconds 4/5: Effect lasts 30 seconds 5/5: Effect lasts 35 seconds Disabling Shot - Passive A passive whose proc is based on level, it's goal is to debuff the enemy. It confers a negative to accuracy and movement speed, with the size of the negative depending on level and enemy's armor value. No armor/Light armor negates none of the debuff, Medium reduces it by 10% and Heavy Armor by 20% Lvl 1: Procs every 5th shot, Confers a 15% accuracy negative and 15% Movement negative Lvl 5: Procs every 5th shot, confers a 20% accuracy negative and 20% movement negative Lvl 10: Procs every 4th shot, confers a 25% accuracy negative and 25% movement negative Lvl 15: Procs every 3rd shot, confers a 30% Accuracy negative and 30% movement negative Lvl 20: Procs every other shot, Confers a 35% accuracy negative and 30% movement negative
56,018	1,534	21	1,962	149	The cobblestone lined pathway hadn't changed much from five minutes ago, still submerged in a sea of brown raggedy players mostly shuffling through the opening tutorial quest, but at a glance things were beginning to seem that bit ore interesting. Maybe it was because more people were forming parties, fiddling with the HUD mechanics and laughing at how absurd it would be if this was IRL, there were even a few PCs already walking around with portions of actual clothing, catching many eyes in there general direction. All of a sudden, as if to capitalize on his passive observation, a somewhat small girl stepped immediately out infront of him and extending her hand in a rather brash manner. She was obviously a PC, if her "uniform" of starting rags didn't make it obvious enough then her extravagantly twisted, snow-white hair would have hammered the point home, but... "Wahh!, a small person appeared out of nowhere, by chance are you a guide fairy?" Bishop made a pleasant grin, he could figure she was probably trying to leach off of someone for quests, maybe she was at a loss for where to continue the starter quest. In an overly dramatic manner, Bishop took her hand with both of his own and replied "I see Lily, I Bishop, cannot ignore the cries of a lost maiden, come! we shall endeavor to finish this noble quest together!" and with that he continued off towards the blacksmith, half dragging the puzzled girl with him. Not that they were far from the blacksmith anyway, in fact the girl's timing was somewhat suspicious, not in a particularly bad way though like she had scouted PCs already questing, which wasn't something he had figured out how to see, not yet anyway. Bishop addressed the same counter bound female NPC from before; "Hello Madame, I have returned with the precious bag of nails you seems to have been lacking" "Ah! wonderful! Thank you so much for going out of your way for this village, it would be really troublesome for us to have done all the preparations ourselves this year!" She was almost as overly dramatic as Bishop, and she was AI controlled. "Ah, it was not an issue" he responded, "Now, if you could reward myself and the maiden he-" From merchant to merchant - 1/3 complete, his HUD abruptly interrupted his fun. "Aw it's a chain" he said in a solemn manner, with indifference the NPC continued, "Oh, maybe you should return to the merchant who supplied you these nails, I'm just a lowly blacksmith assistant but they're far more traveled than I am, I'm sure he'd share some useful advice with you, especially now that you've done a favor for us." "Thanks dear, maybe we should~" and with that he turned back to his recent party member, "It seems we'll need to partake in more walking Lilz, maybe the merchant knows how we can get some clothes!, shall we be off?" not intending to start physically dragging her around again.	Nickname – Bishie Age - 21 Gender - Male Persona – "Eccentric" would be a fitting word to describe Bishop's personality, even if a awfully sharp looking monster is bearing down upon him, he always wears a somewhat goofy looking grin. His presence is in stark contrast with the typical flow of battle, while most players likely find them self caught up in battle rage bishop will be nonchalantly weaving in and out of attacks. At a glance he would appear to be indifferent to any level of danger, and being in a game doesn't help this persona, but when it comes down to the line he is known to display a surprisingly sharp mind, stepping into the fray if a fellow player is being overwhelmed without much of a second thought. Brief Background – Bishop is a long standing MMO player who's pulled more than his fair share of overnight raids, while not quite a shut in he spends the majority of his free time engrossed in a piece of technology of some description despite the potential negative stigma that hovers around such a lifestyle. His appearance isn't helped by the fact that he is typically a loner in reality, though this is mostly his choice. He was always a difficult person to mesh with, despite his outwardly friendly persona his underlying indifference made him difficult to befriend, as such he was generally popular during his middle and high school years, but only properly spoke to a very select group of people. Bishop is currently taking college classes, studying towards the development of his greatest hobby, computer programming a pursuit which partially lends itself to the long hours spent watching countless avatars follow his inputs on a screen. Despite this he had been feeling a sense of burn out with the MMO scene, how many times had he hit 1 for a sword slash? how many fetch quests had he done watching the hundreds of pixels animate his avatar running after ore X, because of this he became delighted upon hearing of ToK, something that had once been a distant nerd's dream had been fully realized, and a long lost desire actively filled each passing day tentatively awaiting this dreamy VRMMO. It had been too long since he had experienced something worthy of sinking uncountable volumes of time into, the money to cover it was a far, far secondary concern. Race – Human Class - Martial Artist ProfSkills – TBA Base Active: Flash Step (Active) Not quite a teleport, flash step moves the martial artist a short distance in a blink of an eye, however as it is only a superspeed movement, the move lacks any I frames, but is an excellent spacing tool for the class. Flash steps can only be activated on the ground (very low ki consumption) 1/5 Able to chain a second, free step 2/5 Able to chain a third, free step 3/5 Boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% 4/5 Delays chain activation by 2 seconds, allowing for the use a skill in between chains. 5/5 Further boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% Level 1 Skill Pulse Wave (Active) Range: 15 meters A mid ranged magic attack that sends out a sphere of ki that expands on contact. Hits for little damage but causes knockback of 4 meters(base). (low ki consumption) 1/5 Increases Impact force by 3%, Increases MP cost by 1% 2/5 Increases Impact force by 5%, Increases MP cost by 2% 3/5 Expands radius of sphere by 4% 4/5 Reduces casting time by 1 second 5/5 Further expands radius of sphere by 5% Level 5 Skill Serenity (Passive) The martial artist hones his senses, becoming more sensitive to the flow of Ki, improving his ability to aquire and discharge Ki 1/5 2% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 2/5 4% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 3/5 3% boost to ki regen rate, 5% boost to spell damage 4/5 6% boost to ki regen rate, 6% boost to spell damage 5/5 10% boost to ki regen rate, 10% boost to spell damage, 2% Increase in MP for all spells Level 10 Skill Arc Blitz (Active) Range: 10 meters The martial artist releases an arc of ki that surges forwards dealing equal damage to all caught within. Furthermore, if the target still stands, a residual ki sliver debuff lingers on the target that will explode if any magical energy touches it, dealing 50% of the skill's damage 1/5 4% Damage boost 2/5 8% Damage boost 3/5 Increases arc radius by 4% 4/5 11% Damage boost 5/5 15% Damage boost, Arc radius increased by 6% Level 15 Sanguine (Passive) Converts a portion of damage recieved into ki, with the ability to temporarily store ki gained through this passive beyond natural ki reserve for 1 minutes 1/5 3% damage recieved converted to ki, 10% bonus ki reserve 2/5 5% damage recieved converted to ki, 15% bonus ki reserve 3/5 8% damage recieved converted to ki, 20% bonus ki reserve 4/5 12% damage recieved converted to ki, 25% bonus ki reserve 5/5 15% damage recieved converted to ki, extends time bonus ki reserve held by 3 minute Level 20 Skill Ethereal Drive (Active) Range: 15 meters A high DPS Skill The martial artist channels an intense amount of ki into a violent beam of energy that continuously assaults targets unfortunate enough to be standing in front of the MA, can move freely while the skill is active to change targets, however it rapidly drains Ki reserves for every second active. 1/5 Damage boost by 5% 2/5 Damage boost by 10% 3/5 Applies Ki Sliver debuff per hit at 30% skill damage, cannot be detonated by the etheral drive itself 4/5 Damage boost by 20% 5/5 Damage boost by 20%, reduces MP cost per second by 15%
56,019	1,534	22	2,030	539	Before the Veni Yan in front of him could answer, Apollo heard another voice coming from his side. "You're looking for the inn, as well? I'm glad I'm not the only one a bit lost..." The feminine voice said. Apollo turned and saw another Veni Yan (this time a female), who was also carrying a crate like him. "Ahhh... Yes, I am. It's my first quest. Although, I guess it's everyone's first quest, haha." He said rather awkwardly with a chuckle. Despite being in the online world, He couldn't help but be as socially awkward as he was in real life. It was strange considering it was all a video game. He had no problems with NPC's, but now that he was interacting with multiple players, he was having trouble responding. Perhaps the realism was getting to him. "Uh... yeah... the inn. Right. I think I passed it on the way from the carpenter's store. We can go together! You up for it?" The male Veni Yan said. Apollo nodded. "It... would be a pleasure." He said, adjusting the crate he carried as he walked behind the other player. He assumed that the female player was following them as well. "May I, perhaps know your names?" He asked both of them as they strolled along the path through the crowds. "My name's Sar- I mean...Elizea." The female player responded, correcting herself. She seemed nice enough, and very enthusiastic if her way of speaking said anything. The male player ahead of them spoke up. "Nice name! I am Sarecyn FurLance. But you can call me Lance..." He said, faking a rich accent. Apollo smiled a bit in amusement; he seemed like a fun-loving fellow. "My name is Apollo Winter. you may call me... Whatever you wish. I don't really mind all that much." He said. He had attempted to think of a good nickname, but gave up halfway through. It wasn't a problem however, because he was fine with getting nicknamed by the people he met online. It was a way of detaching himself from his real life persona. Besides, he was already taking a liking to these people. Eventually, they reached a building with a sign hanging in front. Lance pointed at it. "There it is, just up ahead. That's the inn." He said, approaching the building. They stopped at the front door. "Your help's appreciated, Lance." Apollo said with a smile. He then turned to Elizea, adjusting the crate in his hands again. "I suppose we should go in to turn in the quest, hm?" He asked. Turning back to Lance, he spoke. "Would you like to join us? If this quest gives any reward money, I'll gladly buy you something as a token of thanks." "Yeah, thanks a bunch! I would chip in for something too, it's great to find a nice guy such as yourself! If either of you know how the friend system works...if there is one...we could add each other!". Elizea said cheerfully. "I don't really need any payment. But that 'friend-ing' idea sounds great! It would be awesome to start off the game with a few good pals... Heh... virtual reality is harder than it seems... maybe you can find it," Lance said Apollo would tinker with his HUD, if his hands weren't still occupied with the box he was carrying. He was about to say it politely, when Lance spoke up. "Oh let me get the door... duh!" He said. Apollo smiled, glad to see that he had noticed their dilemma. After Lance opened the door for them, they entered the Inn. Apollo immediately went for the human at the reception desk. "Excuse me madam, we're here to make a couple of deliveries." He said, showing the crate he carried. The woman at the desk nodded. "Thank you, young ones. Just leave them right here behind the counter." She said. He and Elizea went around back to deposit their crates. Immediately, a notification popped up on their HUDs From Merchant to Merchant - 1/3 "It's a three-part quest huh?" Apollo thought. The woman at the reception desk spoke again. "I don't have much in the way of payment, but you seem new around here. So I'll put in a good word for you two. And I suppose I can give you some information." She said. "What sort of information?" Apollo asked. "Well, do either of you know about each other's races ?" The woman asked. Apollo thought, and decided that all he knew of the other 2 races were what the character selection said. "You see, the three races that live around here are Human, Veni Yan, and Nobelle. Humans are people like me. We have some fairly modern technology, and he can tap into our inner powers known as 'Ki' energy. We've got the largest population out of the three. The second race is Veni Yan, like this young lady." She said, gesturing at Elizea. "Veni Yan are those who are most attuned to the natural and spiritual energy around them. They don't care much for technology and prefer using elemental magic for their tasks. The third race are the Nobelle, like this little man here." She said, now gesturing at Apollo. "Nobelles are short and can't use any magic like us. So they make up for it by using advanced technology. They don't use Mana or Ki, and rely on their gadgets and gizmos to get jobs done." She explained. Another notification appeared on their screens: The World and it's people - 2/3 "That was fast..." Apollo thought. The Innkeeper clasped her hands together. "Now, if you two aren't busy. I need something else taken care of. Don't worry, you'll have an actual reward this time." she sad with a chuckle. "You see, the Inn could use some fresh nuts for the festival, so I need some hunters to go out and collect nuts from nearby squirrels." She said. "It wouldn't be a problem... if we had some weapons..." Apollo replied, scratching the back of his head. The Innkeeper chuckled. "Of course. Here, I have a few things you two can use." She said. The woman turned around and opened a cabinet containing a diverse assortment of items. She picked handfuls of stuff and laid them out on the desk. "I got these as tips from adventurers way back when. Take as much as you want. Once you're done with the squirrels, I'll let you take one of them as a reward." She said. For Apollo, he had the following selection of weapons: Refurbished Gauntlets: An antique pair of Augmentor gauntlets once used by Nobelle Close-combat specialists. Its glory days are long gone. Hand-Cannon: A home-made cannon. Created as a smaller, functional replica of weapons used by artillerymen. Can kill, but is impractical as an actual weapon. Tattered Gloves: An old pair of gloves that were said to be owned by a renowned Alchemist. It still does the job, but not as powerfully as before. Picking up the weapons, Apollo transferred them to his inventory (which was basically his backpack of items) and equipment slots. He put the gauntlets on his hands, strapped the cannon to his back, and had the gloves take up inventory space in his bag. He thought that he must've looked quite silly, being a small man carrying weapons that seemed a tad too big for him. After the items were taken care of, he turned to Elizea. She was managing her items as well. "Since we're doing the same mission anyway, I suppose we can hunt together. Unless of course, you'd rather go alone." He said. True, she was nice. But he thought that maybe she wanted some privacy as well. That was counter-productive in an MMO, but you never know when it came to people online. "Sure! Two sets of hands will make things go by even quicker. Speaking of which, let's get going. Who knows how many people are out there, and the respawn timers for this game might be different." She said as she went for the door. Apollo followed him, and immediately noticed something strange. "Wait! Lance is gone." He said, looking around. The male Veni Yan was nowhere to be seen. Apollo thought it to be odd, but decided that maybe Lance had things to take care of as well. After thinking, he spoke "No point in looking for him. There's no way we'll find him now. I suppose we can just do this..." He said as he began tinkering with his HUD. After messing around on the menus for a little while, he managed to find the Friends List. "Aha! Here we go..." He thought as he typed a name to the "Add Friend" box. "Sa-re-cyn... Fur-lance" He thought as he typed it in. He then clicked the confirm button, and a notification appeared, saying the request was sent. "We'll keep in touch with him through the friend system." He said as he turned to Elizea. "Now, we best start moving. Like you said, there could be hundreds of players already there." He said as he started jogging towards the fields. With Elizea being bigger than him, she would have no trouble keeping up, and even outrunning him.	IGN - Apollo Winter Nickname - App Age - 18 Gender – Male Persona - Growing up, Adrian Winter was known as the “smart kid”. He had good grades all around, but was never good at socializing. In the real world, he is not great at speaking with others. He is also rather reserved and pacifistic in real life. In the game world however, he finds it easier to speak and make friends with people, and uses his intelligence to concoct battle strategies to hit the enemy where it hurts. He prefers to avoid rushing into a fight, and takes the time to analyze the situation. Because of this, most people call him “App”, because he acts like an application for making battleplans. However, his more complex plans require to be carried out exactly, so if something unexpected happens, Apollo needs time to think of a new one altogether. And time is a rare luxury in Kakophonia. Brief background – Adrian was born to the wealthy Winter Family, the owner of the Winter Group, a large business conglomerate.Despite this, his parents made sure he was never pampered in order to make sure he had a good personality. They wanted him to focus on studies in order to continue the family line. Thus, he was sent to prestigious schools where he followed his parents’ instructions and strived for excellence. Unfortunately, this was at the sacrifice of his social skills, and he had trouble making friends. One because of his looks, and two because of how intimidated people became when they hear that he is the son of the Winter family. Soon afterwards, he was introduced into the world of online games, and Adrian found out that he had an easier time with people online. More so because he could choose to look like anything he wished, and no one knew that he was the next in line for the Winter Group. His parents rewarded his good grades with the online video games he asked for. They also thought it would help with his socialization problems. When the hyped-up VR game: “Threshold of Kakophonia” was released to the public, his parents used their influence to get him one of the first few copies in their area. Upon logging in, their Adrian Winter adopted the virtual persona: Apollo Winter. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Mechanic Profession – N/A Mechanic Skills Base Skill: Hazard Zone (Passive) Causes single target abilities to deal AOE damage. Damage and range scales with that of the ability used. 1/5 - 20% of Skill's damage in a 3-foot diameter 2/5 - 30% of Skill's damage in a 9-foot diameter 3/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 12-foot diameter 4/5 - 50% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter 5/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter with a 30% chance of slowing enemies. Level 1 Skill: Warning Shot (Active) The Mechanic loads a modified shot into the chamber, and fires it into the air above a location. The shot breaks apart into smaller pieces, falling upon and dealing damage to everyone within a 12-foot circle target area. Does less damage than normal attack. Damage output and element depend on type of equipment used. Restricted to Cannon-type and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Deals 20% of normal damage 2/5 - Deals 35% of normal damage 3/5 - Deals 50% of normal damage 4/5 - Deals 65% of normal damage 5/5 - Deals 80% of normal damage Level 5 Skill: Snare Bomb (Active) The Mechanic throws a handheld bomb into the air above a target. The bomb breaks apart to reveal a spiked net that traps the target for a limited time, and deals a small amount of damage. Cannot escape for the duration of the trap. After the time is up, the target can easily struggle out of the net. Cannot be used when wielding heavy guns. Restricted to Pistol-type, Harpoon guns, and Rifle-type weapons. 1/5 - Lasts for 2 seconds. Does 10% of normal damage 2/5 - Lasts for 3 seconds. Does 12% of normal damage 3/5 - Lasts for 4 seconds. Does 14% of normal damage 4/5 - Lasts for 5 seconds. Does 16% of normal damage 5/5 - Lasts for 6 seconds. Does 18% of normal damage Level 10 Skill: Prototype Ammunition (Passive) Using experimental ammunition, the Mechanic is able to do extra damage to targets. However, the ammunition is not very stable, and effectiveness is not guaranteed. Diversity of ammunition increases as this skill is improved. 1/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Rifles and Pistols 2/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Cannons and Missile launchers 3/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Harpoon guns and Flamethrowers 4/5 - +15% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons 5/5 - +20% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons Level 15 Skill:Burst Round (Active) The Mechanic loads a special round into the chamber, and fires directly at a single target. Upon impact, the shot breaks apart into several bullets, and then those bullets burst into pellets upon contact with an object. Main shot does full damage. Bullets and pellets do less and less damage respectively. Mastery changes it from Area of Effect attack, to focusing down on one target. Restricted to Cannon-type, Rifle-type, Pistol-type, and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Main shot: +50% damage. Bullets: -30% damage. Pellets: -50% damage 2/5 - Main shot: +75% damage. Bullets: -25% damage. Pellets: -45% damage 3/5 - Main shot: +100% damage. Bullets: -20% damage. Pellets: -40% damage 4/5 - Main shot: +125% damage. Bullets: -15% damage. Pellets: -35% damage 5/5 - Main shot: +200% damage. Bullets: -40% damage. Pellets: -60% damage Level 20 Skill: Blitzkrieg (Active) The Mechanic tinkers with their weapon, and then loads a special type of ammunition (Depending on the weapon: Shots for guns, fuel for flamethrower, etc.). And then proceeds to fire a barrage of shots at a single target. Low accuracy per shot, but good chance of hitting agile targets due to the number of shots being fired. Weapon becomes unstable for a short period after this, causing it to deal less damage than normal. Weapon slowly becomes more stable as time passes by. Instability lasts for 20 seconds. 1/5 - Maximum of +125% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 2/5 - Maximum of +150% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 3/5 - Maximum of +175% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 4/5 - Maximum of +200% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 5/5 - Maximum of +250% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 85% afterwards
56,020	1,534	23	709	241	Yeah, for a first quest, they sure have us going all over the place. But that's half the fun, right? Elizea said in an energized tone, trying to make the young Nobelle feel less awkward. It was pretty obvious that he was a bit uncomfortable, and that's expected. Shifting the weight of the crate around a bit, Elizea's arms were beginning to get tired...wow, that was weird. They even feel fatigue? Geez, what did this game not have? The male Veni Yan seemed a bit perplexed, before answering their question. Wow, Elizea thought, I must have been so excited that I missed it. Did I even pass the carpenter's shop? There were too many things to think about. She readily agreed when the Veni Yan asked if they wanted to go together. So early in the game, and she had already found some friends! Maybe they weren't friends yet, more like prospects...but still! Elizea smiled and introduced herself, as they began to walk to their destination, "My name's Sar- I mean...Elizea." She caught herself, almost saying her actual name. It was all too easy to get things confused here. "Well, pleasure to meet you, Lance." Elizea responded with a chuckle. What a fun guy. Sure, it was early, but she could totally tell. Elizea looked down a bit to the Nobelle, who identified as Apollo Winter. "It's nice to meet you, too, Apollo!" She said. The little guy was adorable! With those big eyes and that pretty crystal...Elizea shook herself out of her daydream as Lance showed them the inn. "Huh, that was quick...not a hard find, after all..." Elizea said, embarrassed she couldn't find it herself. She looked to Lance, agreeing with Apollo. "Yeah, thanks a bunch! I would chip in for something too, it's great to find a nice guy such as yourself!" She said with a warm smile. "If either of you know how the friend system works...if there is one...we could add each other!" Elizea nodded her thanks to Lance, bounding inside after Apollo. She'd mess around with her HUD after they turned in the quest. Stepping up to the counter, Apollo seemed to take the reigns, informing the receptionist of their delivery. Elizea smiled, and placed her crate down along with Apollo's, receiving a notification. Wow, that felt good...her first que- wait, '1/3'? So it was a chain quest-type of thing? Figured...Elizea shrugged and moved back to the front of the counter with the others, as the receptionist offered the reward of information. That was definitely worth something, this early in the game. The woman went on to inform them of the races that composed the world, nodding intently when she came to the Veni Yan. It was true, she did feel less of a compulsion to use technology here. And, if she stopped for a moment, she could feel the tingle of spirits on her skin. Such incredible sensations...Elizea listened closely to the other descriptions, wanting to learn as much as she could. She received another notification, The World and It's People: 2/3 "Neat..." Elizea said under her breath. The quests just kept coming! It was after this explanation the receptionist informed them that they needed more nuts, collected from the local squirrels. Aww...she wants us to kill the adorable little squirrels? The Veni Yan wore a brief frown, before the woman laid out weapons. "Ooo..." Elizea marveled, excited to get the ball rolling. The options were simple enough: Dented Ring: A chakram that's been dented and beaten. While it still has a slight edge, it's accuracy is low. Wooden Staff: A quarterstaff made of driftwood. It's light, but it's hits definitely leave something to be desired. Bag of Rocks: It's a bag of rocks. Nothing special here. "Well, you gotta start somewhere..." Elizea said to herself, almost with disappointment. Elizea equipped the weathered chakrams to her secondary weapon slot, placing them on her hips. She hooked the staff onto her back, while the bag of stones was tied to her belt. Looking over at Apollo, who was equipping his gear, Elizea smiled a bit. He looked so much smaller compared to the weapons! Of course, that was to be expected, so she didn't dwell on it too long. The small Nobelle inquired if she would prefer going with him, considering they were on the same quest. The Veni Yan nodded briskly. "Sure! Two sets of hands will make things go by even quicker. Speaking of which, let's get going. Who knows how many people are out there, and the respawn timers for this game might be different." Elizea reasoned, before heading for the door. Apollo could surely keep up, right? And so, they were off to the forest. It was all very exciting, so much so, that she nearly forgot about Lance. It was true that he had disappeared somewhere. Maybe he lagged out? At any rate, Elizea followed Apollo's lead, opening the Friends menu and shooting off a request to the male Veni Yan. Following the Nobelle, a giddy feeling spurred Elizea on, and off to hunt some squirrels.	Appearance - IGN(In-Game Name) – Elizea Roria Nickname – Elly Age - 19 Gender - Female Persona – A peppy, bright girl, Elizea is an optimist through and through. Never one to back down from a challenge, she tends to get herself into rather tight situations, a problem both in-game and out. Failures cause her spirits to sink for quite a while, often blaming the problems of others on herself. In order to prevent this, Elizea goes out of her way to make sure everyone stays in tip-top shape, and out of trouble. Some see this as nagging, but it's a necessary precaution for her to take, to ensure success in all ventures. Brief Background – Outside of the game, Elizea, or Sarah Willows, was an intelligent student, with her head often in the clouds. Daydreaming as she did, she didn't do as well in school as she should have. How could she, when there were entire lands to visit in her mind? Needless to say, her parents nor her teachers didn't approve of such behavior, and she was prescribed medication to help her attention. Sarah hated the medicine, as most children do. It dulled her. During one visit with a friend, Sarah skipped taking her medicine. They were going to have a bonfire, and she wanted to be alert for it. As the fire went on, Sarah was off staring into space once more. During this, one of her friends tripped right in front of her, into the fire. The girl suffered horrible burns, scarring practically everything on her body. Sarah knew that if she were paying attention, she could have caught her. While the girl was able to get reconstruction surgery to repair the damage, it didn't mean that she had experienced serious pain. This developed into a guilt so strong, any failure she witnessed, be it her's or another's, reminded her that she was flawed. Out of high school, she took a waitress job at a local restaurant, to try and take her mind off things. Long story short, it didn't work. Then she discovered Threshold of Kakophonia. It looked so incredible...and it was exactly what she had dreamed of. A world to escape into. Sarah saved money as fast as she could, and made sure to secure a set for herself. On the day of the launch, she giddily strapped on the gear and entered the game. She took the name Elizea Roria, something much more exciting than her boring old name. Race – Veni Yan Class - Acolyte Profession – N/A Skills - Acolyte Skills Honed Spirit (Passive) 1/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 5% 2/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 10% 3/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 15% 4/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 20% 5/5: Spell Effectiveness is incresed by 30% Mending Pulse (Active) The Acolyte summons a spirit which releases a pulse of healing energy in a 10 ft around the caster. Allies caught in it recover 10% of HP. 1/5: Range of pulse becomes 12 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 2%(12%) 2/5: Range becomes 14 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 8%(18%) 3/5: Range becomes 16 ft. Amount of Hp healed increased by 11%(21%) 4/5: Range becomes 18 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 15%(25%) 5/5: Range becomes 20 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 20%(30%) Burning Synergy (Active)(Toggle) Add fire damage to current weapon. Reserves 10% of the Acolyte's mana. 1/5: Adds 5% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 12% 2/5: Adds 9% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 15% 3/5: Adds 13% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 18% 4/5: Adds 17% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 21% 5/5: Adds 21% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 24% Frigid Spike (Active) The Acolyte summons an ice fairy that launches a spear of ice at the target, dealing ice damage, as well as ignoring 5% armor. 1/5: Damage increases by 6%. Ignores 7% of armor. MP Cost increased by 9% 2/5: Damage increases by 10%. Ignores 9% of armor. MP Cost increased by 12%. Target has a 15% chance of being slowed. 3/5:Damage increases by 14%. Ignores 11% of armor. MP Cost increased by 15%. Target has a 20% chance of being slowed. 4/5: Damage increases by 18%. Ignores 14% of armor. MP Cost increased by 18%. Target has a 25% chance of being slowed. 5/5: Damage increases by 22%. Ignores 17% of armor. MP Cost increased by 21%. Target has a 30% chance of being slowed. Divine Gift (Active) The caster summons a fairy to come and revive fallen allies at 50% HP. 1/5: HP restored increased to 60%. 2/5: HP restored increased to 70%. 3/5: HP restored increased to 80%. Rezzed players receive a brief 10% boost in physical damage for 30 seconds 4/5: HP Restored increased to 90%. Rezzed players reveive a 10% boost in Phys. Damage, as well as a 10% Phys. Defense resist for 30 seconds 5/5: Boosts in Phys. Damage and Defense increased to 20%. Channeled Thunder (Active) The Acolyte charges the air around them with electric energy, sending crackling arcs of lightning out around them. Arcs a bolt of powerful lightining between foes. 1/5: Damage increased by 10%.Inflicts 2 second stun 2/5: damage increased by 15%. Enemies wearing metallic armor receive increased damage. 3/5: Damage increased by 20%. 4/5: Damage increased by 25%. Stun increases to 3 seconds 5/5: Damage increased by 30%.
56,021	1,534	24	288	73	People passed by either side of the trio. Some had glimpsed over with a brief fascination, while others stared from a distance, their eyes spying cautiously as if not wanting to be caught in the act. Most people, however, just moved on, too busy to be concerned with strangers. The stone abomination seemed to be the only thing as still as they were, almost as if poking fun at them. It mused silently, jeering in absolute delight as it mimicked the menacing, and somewhat stoic, face planted so naturally by the giant behind her, who seemed much more embarrassed than enthralled. How could that possibly be though? She was a beauty hidden in plain sight. The softest of silk... The gentlest of velvets... As the seconds stalled, she occasionally glanced over her shoulder at the brute behind her, curious as to whether he felt as mystified as she was, her eyes shining with the same brightness that had indicated her almost ecstatic nature previously. Her blood rushed as she watched as the girl's hesitant fingers felt at the foreign key display before her, watched as she seemed to glow when the greeting flashed across the screen. A simple hello, turned so wondrous. Who would've known that she would ever find silence so entertaining? The girl before her was truly worthy to be a fairy tail princess, being as courageous as she was beautiful. Despite her initial response, the girl seemed to be surprisingly comfortable talking to two strangers. Comfortable enough to type more than just a plain greeting. Kanami beamed brightly as she pointed to the giant and herself. “I'm Kanami, and this is Okami. We were wondering if you wouldn't mind...” She paused. A visible irritation seized her as the girl failed to recall the word Ohka had used. “...if you wouldn't mind accepting our request to...” Excitement swelled up in the girl as she drove her fist into the large man's chest. “...to Quest together! Please!”	Theme (Do not click Vewyx or Anderiel) IGN(In-Game-Name) – Kanami Nickname – - Age - 19 Gender - Female Persona – Kanami can be self bashing one moment and quiet, and completely out her mind sadistic and playful the next. She can hold a conversation with herself, but does enjoy company. If she should find anything and get attached to it, obsession tends to ensue. It's hard to truly describe Naomi's personality when she plays as Kanami, one has to just simply take it for what it is at the given moment and time. Brief Background – Naomi was born on a sweet and warm Autumn day in a nice small hospital situated in quiet small town near a coastal city in Japan to an happily married couple. She was a second child; the first was a boy who was ten years older than her named Kyousuke. Naomi use to have the smallest and brightest smile, one that would make strangers heart quiver and want to give her things or make her parents want to spoil her with hugs and kisses. It was the smile she wore when she first attended primary school, when she first held a daito and shoto, and when she first kissed a boy on the cheek. It was also the smile she plastered on her face when her father divorced her mother, when she was alone at home while her mother worked, and when they had to sell their house and move to the city. After a while the smiling just become too hard, so she stopped. Once she stopped smiling, people walked away and left her alone to her silence. She began smoking, getting into fights, cutting class, and well, filling in. Her mother scolded her, and she talked back until one day her mother decided to walk out. Apparently not watching your daughter was better than watching her destroy herself. By the time she entered Chiharu High School she was a 5' 10, fairly good looking, chain smoking delinquent who kept to herself and earned a rogue status. She was still a girl of course and girls her age needed money, so she juggled jobs. She also unknowingly itched for company. That's when she met him. He was an idiot. A smooth, smart, and kind idiot. He also had a nice umbrella. He was good with women, and even better at handling shinais. What she remembers of him were fond things. She remembered his sisters. She remembered Kendo. She remembered lying to herself. She remembered how she longed for his attention with a desperation that had almost pulled her back into her solemn self that he had saved her from. She also remembered her. A foreigner who was a brilliant blonde, with a caring and strong personality. Her hair smelled like wealth, if wealth had a smell. She was a light drinker. She was so sweet and loving under that tough exterior. Naomi envied her at times. She also had a brother. She would have sworn he was a gigolo if they weren't so well off. He was very handsome however, the “epitome” of masculinity. The three of them were club mates before they were friends. They drank illegally, challenged artery clogging food challenges and fought for nationals. Naomi was happy. Time passed. Things changed. Life moved on, and so did she. Weeks after graduation she had decided to leave Japan and head to the states to live with her brother. Despite the blonde's pleas and how she could help her financially, Naomi decided it was best to move. At the airport she kissed her farewell and exchanged an awkward hug from him. E-mails were exchanged, along with parting gifts and promises to keep in touch. Naomi wished them well. They wished her well. And like that, she left. Naomi moved to the United States after graduating from Chiharu High School, living with her brother who was a police detective. He didn't make much money, but that didn't really matter. Kyousuke had a tough time connecting to his delinquent younger sister, but he did. Naomi's lack of direction in life and overall stern personality was turned into inspiration by Kyousuke to get Naomi training to become a police officer. Naomi, who was reluctant to the idea at first, eventually warmed up to it. She didn't want to work for the state or government, so she had the idea that perhaps she could set up a private security company (she would still have to work for the government to begin with of course). It was an idea that finally gave purpose to Naomi's life. It was through her pursuit of her dream that she met virtual reality. It gave her opportunities to practice fire arms and combat without actually battering her body, not that she mind of course. Paring this along with actual training given to her by her brother and his coworkers, Naomi slowly snaked the path of life. The VRMMORPG hype had caught her interest. Seeing how it had combat, and this time with real people, Naomi was interested, and to her surprise, found a copy of the game in her mailbox the day of its release (she had a good idea who it was from). Did it live up to the hype? No. Was it worth it? She thought so. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Race – Nobelle Class - Augmentor Profession – - Skills – Base Skill: Reactor (Passive) The Augmentor's power stems from burst damage and short cooldowns. With each additional Reactor installation the Augmentor trades over pieces of it's humanity in attempt to achieve power and strength that rivals God Each auto attack or skill cast will reduce all cooldowns by a set amount, except for the last two skills used (passives with cooldowns don't count as used skills) When overclocked, cooldown reduction from this passive is doubled. (1/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by .2 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (2/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by .4 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (3/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by .6 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (4/5) Each attack/skill deceases all cooldowns by .8 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) (5/5) Each attack/skill decreases all cooldowns by 1 seconds. (Excluding last two skills used) Active Skill Level 1: Brute Force (Active) The Augmentor's strength is immense making it able to crush the enemy with reality shattering blows, each one stronger than the last Upon activation the Augmentor's next five attacks gain additional damage and stuns the target. On Overclocking Brute Force gains the additional ability to increase the damage of consecutive spells cast by a certain percentage. Cooldown starts after the 5th hit is delivered. Durations: Five attacks. On Overclock Five attacks/spells. Cooldown: 10 seconds at all ranks. (1/5) 2.5% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .2 seconds. On Overclock: 1.25% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (2/5) 5% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .4 seconds. On Overclock: 2.5% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (3/5) 10% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .6 seconds. On Overclock: 5% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (4/5) 15% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for .8 seconds. On Overclock: 7.5% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. (5/5) 30% damage increase per hit. Stuns the target for 1 second. On Overclock: 15% damage increase per cast, same stun duration. Active Skill Level 5: Ch@rged Up!/ Bre@k Down! (Active) The Augmentor's ability to surge objects with immense amounts of energy makes finding a temporarily weapon extremely easy. Sadly, there has yet to be a weapon that can withstand the amount of energy the Augmentor is capable of feeding, most tend to blow up on it. The Augmentor longs for a weapon that can live up to it's potential. Upon activation the Augmentor powers up the currently equipped weapon, effectively increasing it's base stats by a percentage. The weapon's durability permanently decreases by 10%. The weapon cannot be destroyed while Charged Up! is active. If the weapon is destroyed after use, % of the damage dealt by the weapon is released as true damage to all targets in the radius, including the caster (Bre@k Down!). When overclocked Ch@rged Up! deals percentage of the enemy's missing HP and heals her half the amount as oppose to receiving additional stat increases and blowing up. Duration: 10/15/20/25/30 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds at all ranks. (1/5) 5% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 10% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 1% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (2/5) 10% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 20% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 2% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (3/5) 15% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 30% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 3% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (4/5) 20% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 40% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 4% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. (5/5) 25% increase to weapon's base stats. If weapon is destroyed, 50% of the damage dealt is released as true damage. 5% of missing HP, 50% of damage dealt by Ch@rged Up! is healed. Toggle Active Skill Level 10: High Fusion (Melee) Able to fuse weapons together with relative ease, the Augmentor never enters or leaves a fight with the same weapon. Upon activation the Augmentor fuses the weapon in the quick slot (disabling the quick slot) with the currently equipped weapon, creating a new type of weapon as well as granting bonus on hit effects depending on the combination. Once deactivated the weapons will split apart and the quick equip slot will once again be available. When overclocked the Augmentor is still able to use the quick slot. (1/5) All Combination Bonus: 2% increase in damage. (2/5) All Combination Bonus: 4% increase in damage. 2% increase in attack speed. (3/5) All Combination Bonus: 6% increase in damage. 4% increase in attack speed. (4/5) All Combination Bonus: 8% increase in damage. 6% increase in attack speed. (5/5) All Combination Bonus: 10% increase in damage. 8% increase in attack speed. Passive Skill Level 15: Emergency Restore Surviving is a part of perfection as well... If the Augmentor falls below 20% HP, a percentage of the Augmentor's missing HP is restored immediately and half the percentage is also restored over 10 seconds. The Augmentor is not allowed to activate any new skills during this time. When overclocked, cooldown is halved and healing is doubled. Cooldown: 300 seconds. (1/5) 20% instantly restored, additional 1% restored every second for 10 seconds. (2/5) 25% instantly restored, additional 1.25% restored every second for 10 seconds. (3/5) 30% instantly restored, additional 1.5% restored every second for 10 seconds. (4/5) 35% instantly restored, additional 1.75% restored every second for 10 seconds. (5/5) 40% instantly restored, additional 2% restored every second for 10 seconds. Active Skill Level 20: Knight/Queen/King's Core The Augmentor's key to survival is the Core, granting it the ability to adapt to any situation. Able to power up the Augmentor in ways unimaginable to even the most imaginative minds, the Augmentor lives day to day attempting to find upgrades and expansions to it's core. While there are many different types of Core upgrades to discover, they are often, by far, the rarest and strongest resources that an Augmentor would hope to discover. Upon activation the Augmentor can access one of three core upgrades. King's Core allows the Augmentor's to throw out three spells/attacks that deals an additional % increase in damage, healing the Augmentor for a percentage of the damage dealt. Queen's Core allows the Augmentor to resist, dispell, and deflect any sort of debuff for a set duration. Knight's Core allows the Augmentor to become impervious to damage for a set time frame, absorbing the damage that would have been dealt to form a shield. Can use only 1 core at once. Other two cores have to be used before the same core can be used again. When overclocked, two cores can be used at once. Cooldown: 1200 seconds (1/5) King's Core: 50% additional damage. Queen's Core: 1 second. Knight's core: .5 seconds, 2.5% damage absorbed as shield (2/5) King's Core: 70% additional damage. Queen's Core: 2 second. Knight's core: 1 seconds, 5% damage absorbed as shield (3/5) King's Core: 90% additional damage. Queen's Core: 3 second. Knight's core: 1.5 seconds, 10% damage absorbed as shield (4/5) King's Core: 110% additional damage. Queen's Core: 4 second. Knight's core: 2 seconds, 15% damage absorbed as shield (5/5) King's Core: 130% additional damage. Queen's Core: 5 second. Knight's core: 2.5 seconds, 20% damage absorbed as shield.
56,022	1,534	25	763	2,065	A guide fairy? With a quick jerk of her head, Liliz looked behind her, trying to see if she had somehow sprouted wings during her trip from the top of the cliff to the village, but, alas, she had no butterfly wings, not even small ones. It seemed then, that, despite this 'Bishop's' rather normal appearance, he too was a gaming nerd, perhaps the type that enjoyed dabbling into a bit of roleplaying on the side. Then again, if she remembered correctly, roleplaying in this game WAS part of the whole immersion experience. Letting the older boy drag her off to the blacksmith that apparently was a quest objective, Liliz obeyed the 'Join Bishop's Party' prompt that popped up, and with that, allowed the leeching to begin. As her new party member talked to the blacksmith woman (who seemed to be swamped with nails at the moment), Liliz simply looked around again. She wasn't particularly interested in any of the backstory or lore of Threshold of Kakophonia. It was just the means to an end, after all. Who needs to know the name of some festival in some random town in order to level up? Liliz, after all, wanted to be the person who NAMED the towns. A proper, master adventurer, exploring the depths of the unknown while fighting monsters never before seen. It was a wonderful fantasy, and for that end, she'll humor the quests for now. Blinking back into the real world once more, as Bishop said some words she didn't catch, Liliz responded with a nod, before walking off in whatever direction, just slow enough so that she would be three steps behind him and appear like she knew where he was going, yet still letting him take the lead. Weaving through the crowd of other brown-colored players and slightly better dressed NPCs, the duo finally met with the next objective for that chain quest, a fattish looking man who had a backpack full of wares. A merchant, apparently. As she allowed her partner to handle the roleplaying again, Liliz brought out the map interface and marked that place off with a smile. Blacksmith, food stands, merchant, cheap inns, her map was slowly getting the essentials, and it felt sorta nice. Now she just needed to find the apothecary, and she'll have all the knowledge needed for her first few forays. Zoning out of the exposition race explanations that the white-haired girl had absolutely zero interest in, as she was pretty much certain that combat for humans would just be hitting things with hard objects until they fell over and died, Liliz was rather amused when the second quest completed in a similarly fast manner, and suddenly, with a pretty flash, she found a variety of weapons in her hands. Weathered Bronze Sword: At least it isn't made of wood. Antique Pistol: Better pray that it doesn't explode on your face. Spear the Gugniry: Cheap imitation of an ancient badass vampire lance. Chopping Axe: Because tools can be weapons too. Rock Fists: Clench rocks while punching things, and your fists become harder! Honestly, it was too much for one girl to carry, so she just said with a smile, “Mr. Merchant, you can have all these things back. Thanks for the generous offerings, but I'll be fine with just one.” And with that, she dumped everything onto the merchant's hands except for the Chopping Axe, before walking off. Thankfully, she had also mapped out all the known entrances and exits in the town, so getting to the fields to kill things would be easy. Or, at least, she was assuming that they were going to kill things, because why else would she suddenly get weapons? Reading, for one, was not a favoured past time of Liliz. “So, Bishop, let's go hunting!”	Nickname – Lily Age - 15 Gender - Female Description – Liliz was not someone who originally played MMOs. Even with all those exciting gaming developments stretching around her, she was the type of person who just couldn't see the point in it. Virtual reality may be realistic, but in the end, it wasn't a 'real' world. Honestly, she couldn't find any interest in doing such things, and that girl has a muted interested in game related things. A loud-mouthed individual who's full of criticism, Liliz enjoys sports and camping, even when the only forests left on Earth were government-protected national parks. She likes challenges, and is obssessed with the world that once was, the world where there were still hidden things. Now, the only place left in the world is space, and space didn't have new species of animals or plants. A barbarian of an adventurer with no sense of etiquette, Liliz is a girl born in the wrong era, someone who, despite her best efforts, is slowly getting crushed by reality. Her family was filled with intellectuals, and her oddity simply caused her to become isolated from them. Though her father supported her, Liliz could tell that he was displeased with his daughter being a tomboy. Those days, tomboys were simply delinquents, for the more adventurous things, such as climbing old buildings and diving in shallow coves was no longer possible. She occupied herself with physical activity, yet could not find any true, lasting happiness. It was a tiresome, suppressing life. That was the fate that he saved her from. Not directly, but indirectly. In her eighth grade, she had a crush on a boy, an exciting prospect. She fell in love more for the sake of doing so, so she could experience something she hadn't done before. It was fun, heart-pounding, watching him from afar with rose-tinted glasses, and as she continued to watch him, never able to get the courage to actually say 'hi', she learned of his interests. A fascination? An obssession? Liliz knew nothing about this Threshold of Kakophonia, but she did know that she liked the way he looked when he spoke of the thing that interested him so much. Apparently, he was one of the few beta testers, and his IGN was Kikusa. That was nice to know. And when that game was released, Liliz used her New Year's money and some connections to get a copy of the game. Maybe she wouldn't be able to speak to him in real life, but perhaps in a virtual world, she can slowly get closer to him? With those thoughts in mind, she logged in. The first love of her life was a boy with messy, dark hair. The second love of her life was a world that could no longer exist on Earth. Race – Human Class - Warrior Profession – N/A Base Passive - Iron Spirit A percentage of the warrior's maximum ki pool value is converted into defense, lowering ki pool in exchange for higher defense. 1/5 6% of Ki Pool is converted into +6% base defense 2/5 12% of Ki Pool is converted into +12% base defense 3/5 18% of Ki Pool is converted into +18% base defense 4/5 24% of Ki Pool is converted into +24% base defense 5/5 30% of Ki Pool is converted into +30% base defense. Lvl 1 Active - Crater Dive The Warrior leaps into the air, before crashing towards the targetted location, causing moderate physical damage to the target and a small shockwave AOE to nearby enemies. Has a fast casting time and low cooldown. 1/5 Leap distance maxes at 10ft, and shockwave radius is 5ft. 2/5 Leap distance maxes at 20ft, and shockwave radius is 7ft. 3/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. 4/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 20% chance of a 2s stun. 5/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 40% chance of a 2s stun. Lvl 5 Active - Zero Impact The Warrior strikes the target with the flat of their blade. Does no damage, but causes a knockback of 10ft and aggros the target. Single-mob skill, but the effect of the taunt can be passed on if that monster hits another monster. 1/5 Ki cost decreases by 20%. 2/5 Ki cost decreases by 30%. 3/5 Ki cost decreases by 50%. 4/5 Has 30% chance of creating a 5ft shockwave acting as a taunt. 5/5 Has 50% chance of creating a 7ft shockwave acting as a taunt. Lvl 10 Active - Wheel of Pain The Warrior spins to win, dealing AOE damage to all around them for five seconds, being stationary while doing so. There is a minor suction effect while the spell is being cast, drawing in nearby mobs, and the damage of Wheel of Pain is dependent on the number of monsters being attacked. 1/5 Damage increases by 5% per monster. 2/5 Damage increases by 10% per monster. 3/5 Damage increases by 15% per monster. 2% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 4/5 Damage increases by 20% per monster. 4% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 5/5 Damage increases by 25% per monster. 5% of total damage dealt is lifeleeched. Lvl 15 Passive - Knight's Unity The Warrior gains more physical attack damage and speed in accordance to the number of people there are in the party, with a maximum number of 20 other people. 1/5 - 1% increase in speed and damage per person. 2/5 - 2% increase in speed and damage per person. 3/5 - 3% increase in speed and damage per person. 4/5 - 4% increase in speed and damage per person. 5/5 - 5% increase in speed and damage per person. Lvl 20 Active - King Slayer King Slayer is an active that has two different effects, dependent on the amount of HP the enemy has left. In the 'Battle' phase, King Slayer is a high cooldown, low Ki cost spell that strikes the target's leg, severely decreasing their movement speed for a short amount of time. In the 'Execute' phase, King Slayer becomes a low cooldown, high Ki cost spell in which the Warrior swings at the target's neck, causing extremely high physical damage to the target. 1/5 - 30% movement speed decrease for 3s. 2/5 - 40% movement speed decrease for 3s. 3/5 - 50% movement speed decrease for 3s. 30% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 4/5 - 60% movement speed decrease for 3s. 40% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 5/5 - 70% movement speed decrease for 3s. 50% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes.
56,023	1,534	26	130	423	Really?! Emi quickly responded after the girl and her friend stated their intentions, catching her off guard and strangely cheering her up. She stood from the wall, forgetting about the reality of being loss and concluded that the best option was to accept her offer- who knows, maybe these two were better at navigating than herself. She smiled softly, though still refusing to open her mouth as she began to type into the chat window again. "Well I see no reason to refuse your offer, Kanami and Okami. Please call me Emi, and I'd be happy to join you on your quest." After sending the message over, she tucked her hands into the beginner's rags looking at the two with a friendly but somewhat flustered look. In the short while they had been talking, the area had become further packed with people at an alarming rate. In a fit, she slowly walked to the two before staring at the cobblestone a few feet from the duo, kicking dust nervously as she used her newfound acquaintances to camouflage herself from the oncoming crowds. They were now a trio after all right? If you listened carefully within the loud volume of commotion, a soft sorry could be barely heard, coming from the small girl. Catching herself break this silent pact, she stood up stiffly looking at the two wide-eyed and typing quickly. "You know where to get the first quest from, right?"	IGN(In-Game Name) – Amai Nickname – Emi Age – 17 Gender – Female Persona – Amai is a very shy girl, her preferred form of communication with people is without physical contact. Often staying away from things like voice or video chat, preferring text communication more than anything. Though in retrospect, when she does communicate with people indirectly she seems like a cheerful girl, sounding upbeat and completely different. What would draw such a girl towards the VRMMO you might ask, well the answer is simple, peer pressure. With a girl who is shy within the common world, friends are indeed hard to make, so as they progressed she would need to keep up. And as they saw this rising star of a game arise, they believed it was time to move on from their old dreary mmo onto something new. The transition would be hard, and Amai is nervous- but we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Brief Background – At the age of seven, Amai was first introduced to online gaming as her mother screamed into her headset playing the popular MMO of her time Underworld Online at her work desk. As the little girl tugged at her mother’s sleeve for attention, the woman was too entranced by the battle she had been facing to noticed. Rather than get upset or cry, the young Amai was awed of the determined expression on her mother’s face. The following year, Amai asked for her own computer as a birthday present and in that year she played the same game as her mother, learning the basics and striving for greatness. She played the game religiously throughout her younger years, and by her last year of middle school she was in a top tier raiding guild. But the game she had gotten so good at was now many years old, even her mother had quit it to focus more on work. Though her guild lived on, flocking from one game to another until they found one they liked. They settled on Seven Blades, an action-combat mmo for a couple years, but then ToK was released. It was a VRMMO, something Amai had never tried before, it was scary but all of her friends were moving on. She didn’t want to be left behind, so along with the many who lifted anchor for this game- she started anew to defeat this games challenges like the rest. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Alchemist Profession – Will be added when chosen through RP. Alchemist Skills Anima – Stone The circle Anima is created giving life to that which the transmutation circle is written upon. Stone allows the Alchemist to summon force a stone golem that will serve the alchemist as a protector. Anima lingers until the transmutation circle is destroyed or the Alchemist is defeated in battle. 1/5 - Stone 2/5 - Granite 3/5 - Obsidian 4/5 - Mechanical 5/5 - Archon - Lvl Scales with Caster The stone golem's benefit to the party is off-tank capabilities and additional melee damage. They have above average health for a level 20 monster and are surprising tanky to support this. Stone Golems are silent and emotionless and obey only the alchemist's commands, though it is unknown what happens if the alchemist is defeated while a golem is still active. will do others as they come to play Aquas - Shower The transmutation circle Aquas is created, causing the ally it is cast upon to regain health per second as rain pours from the sky above them. The regenerative waters will continue to fall upon the targeted ally until 10% of their health has been regained from this ability, furthermore a puddle will be created under the allies' feet and will be left behind for 15 seconds, allies that pass through this puddle will be granted a small magic resistance increase for 5 seconds. 1/5 - 10% of Health cap to healing 2% every second for 5 seconds. 2/5 - 15% of Health cap to healing 3% every second for 5 seconds. 3/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 4% every second for 5 seconds. 4/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 5% every second for 4 seconds. 5/5 - Puddles created by Aquas now grant increased magic resistance for 10 seconds. Overclock* Increases all healing done by 10% for ten seconds, if a spell is not cast within the duration the Alchemist will be able to recast this spell again without triggering it's cooldown. Overclock* Deals increased damage inevitably. Frigoris – Glaciate The transmutation circle Frigoris is created, causing the surface it is written upon to slowly begin to freeze. Glaciate deals even damage regardless of the transmutation circle's time being created, though will do increased damage if another circle takes it's place causing an effect called Ice Rupture. Ice Rupture removes all freezing effects from enemies though dealing high damage beforehand. Frigoris will stay on it's destinaton until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Slow reduction of 2% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 2/5 - Slow reduction of 4% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 3/5 - Slow reduction of 5% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 4/5 - Ice Rupture no longer removes Freeze Effect. 5/5 - Increase damage to Ice Rupture. Overclock * Roots opponent to ground in ice for 2 seconds. Can only occur once. Tempesta – Tranquility The transmutation circle Tempesta is created, causing the surface it is written upon to grant all nearby allies a strengthening boon increasing movement speed and healing five health points every three seconds for thirty seconds. Upon it's completion the transmutation circle will vanish, Tempesta does not linger. 1/5 - Movement speed increased by 5% healing of 5% health per 3 seconds. 2/5 - Movement speed increased by 7% healing of 7% health per 3 seconds. 3/5 - Movement speed increased by 10% healing of 12% health per 3 seconds. 4/5 - Tranquility heals all party members for 10% of health on activation. 5/5 - Movement speed increased by 20% healing of 30% health per 3 seconds. Overclock* Refreshes cooldowns of nearby allies. Ignem – Smolder The transmutation circle Ignem is created causing the surface it is written upon to heat up quickly and weaken it's physical defenses by 10%. Additionally, if another Ignem spell is used in succession to Smolder the effects will last for 5 seconds afterwards. Ignem lingers on it's destination until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Duration 3 Seconds 2/5 - Duration 4 Seconds 3/5 - Duration 5 Seconds 4/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. 5/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. Overclock* Decreases enemy fire resistance. Philosopher's Stone: Active Philosopher's Stone allows the Alchemist to create 'huzzah' a Philosopher's Stone. It is an on use consumed item that stores a transmutation circle allowing one to be summoned quickly and without triggering any cooldowns. Once the item is consumed another can be created in twenty-four hours, and only a single Philosopher's Stone may be in the player's possession at a time. 1/5 - 24 Hour Cooldown + 30 Second Cast Time 2/5 - 12 Hour Cooldown + 15 Second Cast Time 3/5 - 6 Hour Cooldown + 7.5 Second Cast Time 4/5 - 3 Hour Cooldown + 3.75 Second Cast Time 5/5 - 1 Hour Cooldown + Instant Cast Time.
56,024	1,534	27	1,962	149	Despite their surroundings, one could certainly call Bishop and his current partner and "odd" pair, for one he stood close to twice the girl's height and that was without messing with the character height slider, but it was more than just physical appearance. They were both content with silence, but for completely different reasons, Liliz seemed to prefer it as a means of avoiding awkwardness, while Bishop was so self absorbed that the concept of embarrassment held no meaning to him. Regardless neither player did anything to dispel the short silent walk to the next chain NPC. "Yo, Merchant man!" whom was still swampt with players, although his AI cared neither for the number of players, or the nicknames certain players decided to bestow upon him. "See, blacksmith-chan sent us back over here after she got the nails, she seems to think you can help us...get....somewhere?" He made a puzzled look, but it was all for show anyway he could say whatever he wanted at this point and get the same response. "Ah yes you people are new here after all, you must be quite lost here let me..." Bishop looked back to Liliz as he partially zoned out the exposition, unsurprisingly she was too, though bishop got the impression she had been zoned out for far longer than that, his first impression of her might have been slightly off, she was just as self absorbed as he was, only expressed it in a different manner. Suddenly, perhaps as a reward for putting up with such a large volume of words, weapons appeared in Bishop's grasp, causing him to tune back in to the NPC "....so why don't you take a few swings at the pesks? the less nuisances the better for the night!" "Uhh" Bishop began, but just as suddenly a pop up interrupted him From merchant to merchant - 2/3 complete, next location is outside current town "Oh! thank you system~" However before he could spin back around again, Liliz stepped forwards, returning all but one of her given weapons, glancing to his own little piled and shrugged saying "Doesn't look like they're much better than junk anyway, Merchant man, please take these from me too!" He gave over all but the spear and then, too his surprise, found himself looking for the previously quite girl. She soon called out to him, having already started off towards the gate, suddenly getting a little spring to her step. "Oh, has the little fairy found something that interests her at last?" He mused aloud before following after her, unfazed by the fact that the first thing to grab the girl's attention was the notion of chopping little squirrels	Nickname – Bishie Age - 21 Gender - Male Persona – "Eccentric" would be a fitting word to describe Bishop's personality, even if a awfully sharp looking monster is bearing down upon him, he always wears a somewhat goofy looking grin. His presence is in stark contrast with the typical flow of battle, while most players likely find them self caught up in battle rage bishop will be nonchalantly weaving in and out of attacks. At a glance he would appear to be indifferent to any level of danger, and being in a game doesn't help this persona, but when it comes down to the line he is known to display a surprisingly sharp mind, stepping into the fray if a fellow player is being overwhelmed without much of a second thought. Brief Background – Bishop is a long standing MMO player who's pulled more than his fair share of overnight raids, while not quite a shut in he spends the majority of his free time engrossed in a piece of technology of some description despite the potential negative stigma that hovers around such a lifestyle. His appearance isn't helped by the fact that he is typically a loner in reality, though this is mostly his choice. He was always a difficult person to mesh with, despite his outwardly friendly persona his underlying indifference made him difficult to befriend, as such he was generally popular during his middle and high school years, but only properly spoke to a very select group of people. Bishop is currently taking college classes, studying towards the development of his greatest hobby, computer programming a pursuit which partially lends itself to the long hours spent watching countless avatars follow his inputs on a screen. Despite this he had been feeling a sense of burn out with the MMO scene, how many times had he hit 1 for a sword slash? how many fetch quests had he done watching the hundreds of pixels animate his avatar running after ore X, because of this he became delighted upon hearing of ToK, something that had once been a distant nerd's dream had been fully realized, and a long lost desire actively filled each passing day tentatively awaiting this dreamy VRMMO. It had been too long since he had experienced something worthy of sinking uncountable volumes of time into, the money to cover it was a far, far secondary concern. Race – Human Class - Martial Artist ProfSkills – TBA Base Active: Flash Step (Active) Not quite a teleport, flash step moves the martial artist a short distance in a blink of an eye, however as it is only a superspeed movement, the move lacks any I frames, but is an excellent spacing tool for the class. Flash steps can only be activated on the ground (very low ki consumption) 1/5 Able to chain a second, free step 2/5 Able to chain a third, free step 3/5 Boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% 4/5 Delays chain activation by 2 seconds, allowing for the use a skill in between chains. 5/5 Further boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% Level 1 Skill Pulse Wave (Active) Range: 15 meters A mid ranged magic attack that sends out a sphere of ki that expands on contact. Hits for little damage but causes knockback of 4 meters(base). (low ki consumption) 1/5 Increases Impact force by 3%, Increases MP cost by 1% 2/5 Increases Impact force by 5%, Increases MP cost by 2% 3/5 Expands radius of sphere by 4% 4/5 Reduces casting time by 1 second 5/5 Further expands radius of sphere by 5% Level 5 Skill Serenity (Passive) The martial artist hones his senses, becoming more sensitive to the flow of Ki, improving his ability to aquire and discharge Ki 1/5 2% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 2/5 4% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 3/5 3% boost to ki regen rate, 5% boost to spell damage 4/5 6% boost to ki regen rate, 6% boost to spell damage 5/5 10% boost to ki regen rate, 10% boost to spell damage, 2% Increase in MP for all spells Level 10 Skill Arc Blitz (Active) Range: 10 meters The martial artist releases an arc of ki that surges forwards dealing equal damage to all caught within. Furthermore, if the target still stands, a residual ki sliver debuff lingers on the target that will explode if any magical energy touches it, dealing 50% of the skill's damage 1/5 4% Damage boost 2/5 8% Damage boost 3/5 Increases arc radius by 4% 4/5 11% Damage boost 5/5 15% Damage boost, Arc radius increased by 6% Level 15 Sanguine (Passive) Converts a portion of damage recieved into ki, with the ability to temporarily store ki gained through this passive beyond natural ki reserve for 1 minutes 1/5 3% damage recieved converted to ki, 10% bonus ki reserve 2/5 5% damage recieved converted to ki, 15% bonus ki reserve 3/5 8% damage recieved converted to ki, 20% bonus ki reserve 4/5 12% damage recieved converted to ki, 25% bonus ki reserve 5/5 15% damage recieved converted to ki, extends time bonus ki reserve held by 3 minute Level 20 Skill Ethereal Drive (Active) Range: 15 meters A high DPS Skill The martial artist channels an intense amount of ki into a violent beam of energy that continuously assaults targets unfortunate enough to be standing in front of the MA, can move freely while the skill is active to change targets, however it rapidly drains Ki reserves for every second active. 1/5 Damage boost by 5% 2/5 Damage boost by 10% 3/5 Applies Ki Sliver debuff per hit at 30% skill damage, cannot be detonated by the etheral drive itself 4/5 Damage boost by 20% 5/5 Damage boost by 20%, reduces MP cost per second by 15%
56,025	1,534	28	2,030	539	Arriving at the outskirts of the forest outside town, Apollo suddenly felt a shift in the atmosphere. No, it was not something physical. It felt more like an instinct. He realized he no longer felt as laid back as he was back in the town; he was on edge and ready for action. He could feel adrenaline in his veins, and his mind racing. "Is the game designed to make you feel like this in a combat zone?" He wondered. Before he forgot, he opened up the Party function he had spotted beforehand, and sent an invitation to Elizea. "I think we share the quest completion if we're in the same party. This should help us cut back on time and effort for collecting the nuts." Apollo explained. "I suggest we split up, but not too far from each other. That way we'll have a higher chance of finding squirrels, while at the same time be able to quickly regroup if they prove too much of a challenge. Shout if you need any help." He continued. Apollo wasn't sure how dangerous squirrels could possibly get, but seeing as they were both complete newbies, there was a chance the starter monsters could beat them (no matter how small and cute they may be). It was better safe than sorry. After walking a little distance away, Apollo started looking around the trees for the "monsters". At the moment, he was unsure if the squirrels were taking refuge in the trees, or scurrying about on the ground. He assumed that they were on ground-level, because then it would have added fake difficulty for melee-users, but you could never know. Eventually, he managed to find one of the little critters dashing on the grass. Apollo punched his gauntlet-covered palm in preparation for the fight. "Let's see how the melee handles..." He thought. He rushed at his target, with his right fist in the air, intending to smash the squirrel into the ground. The creature noticed it early and dodged the attack. Apollo's fist collided with the ground, causing dirt to kick up, but doing no damage. Apollo lunged and attempted another hit, but was too slow and allowed the squirrel to evade once again. "Damn, this little guy's fast!" He thought. At that moment, the squirrel launched a counter-attack, pouncing on Apollo's face and biting down with its buck-teeth. "Oww!" Apollo exclaimed, swatting it away. It did a small amount of damage from making contact with the squirrel. Feeling his left cheek, he noticed that a cut was now left there. Looking at his HUD, he saw a small part of his HP bar removed. "I don't believe this... I'm losing to a squirrel?!" He realized, shocked at his own performance. Deciding that melee wasn't working out for him, he decided to switch over to the Cannon in his Quickswap Slot. The Gauntlets were put away in his inventory, and he held the gun with both arms. It was a little heavy, and about 2/3 the size of Apollo. It was shaped like a regular shoulder-mounted cannon with a trigger handle and a 2nd grip meant for steadying aim, but had ironsights on the left side (presumably for the use of the gunner). It seemed like a regular cannon with a chamber and a barrel. No special qualities worth noting. The squirrel, seeing the new weapon, ran from tree to tree, taking cover wherever it could. Attempting to line up the sights while backing away from the squirrel, Apollo had difficulty finding an opening. The squirrel changed tactics and started running straight at him, and pounced into the air. Thinking fast, he squeezed the trigger, and felt the cannon recoil as sparks erupted, and the shell hit the squirrel, sending it flying backwards. "That definitely should have done damage!" He thought with a grin. He noted that there appeared to be a short timer that appeared on his weapon icon when he fired. "It seems to have a short cooldown. I suppose that means I can't rapid-fire this weapon. Makes sense, I doubt I'd be able to keep it steady if I fired multiple sots...". The squirrel recovered from the attack and made another rush, this time doing serpentine maneuvers to avoid the cannon fire. Apollo already knew what to do; he aimed from left to right (and vice versa) as well, constantly putting the crosshairs of the sights ahead of the moving squirrel and fired, once again causing the weapon to lurch upwards. He managed to graze the squirrel with the small explosion, causing the critter to reel backwards and fall flat on the ground. While it was immobile, Apollo swiftly took aim at the center of his target, and fired. With a direct hit, the squirrel ragdoll-ed backwards, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. In the spot where it died, there were 2 Nuts. Approaching the items, Apollo put the cannon aside and grabbed the items. They disappeared in his hands, and a notification appeared on his HUD: Nuts Collected: 2/10 He assumed that Elizea was seeing the same thing. Happy to have made a small amount of progress, he put the cannon back on his shoulders, and proceeded to hunt more game. He decided to test out the Gloves after eliminating a couple more squirrels.	IGN - Apollo Winter Nickname - App Age - 18 Gender – Male Persona - Growing up, Adrian Winter was known as the “smart kid”. He had good grades all around, but was never good at socializing. In the real world, he is not great at speaking with others. He is also rather reserved and pacifistic in real life. In the game world however, he finds it easier to speak and make friends with people, and uses his intelligence to concoct battle strategies to hit the enemy where it hurts. He prefers to avoid rushing into a fight, and takes the time to analyze the situation. Because of this, most people call him “App”, because he acts like an application for making battleplans. However, his more complex plans require to be carried out exactly, so if something unexpected happens, Apollo needs time to think of a new one altogether. And time is a rare luxury in Kakophonia. Brief background – Adrian was born to the wealthy Winter Family, the owner of the Winter Group, a large business conglomerate.Despite this, his parents made sure he was never pampered in order to make sure he had a good personality. They wanted him to focus on studies in order to continue the family line. Thus, he was sent to prestigious schools where he followed his parents’ instructions and strived for excellence. Unfortunately, this was at the sacrifice of his social skills, and he had trouble making friends. One because of his looks, and two because of how intimidated people became when they hear that he is the son of the Winter family. Soon afterwards, he was introduced into the world of online games, and Adrian found out that he had an easier time with people online. More so because he could choose to look like anything he wished, and no one knew that he was the next in line for the Winter Group. His parents rewarded his good grades with the online video games he asked for. They also thought it would help with his socialization problems. When the hyped-up VR game: “Threshold of Kakophonia” was released to the public, his parents used their influence to get him one of the first few copies in their area. Upon logging in, their Adrian Winter adopted the virtual persona: Apollo Winter. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Mechanic Profession – N/A Mechanic Skills Base Skill: Hazard Zone (Passive) Causes single target abilities to deal AOE damage. Damage and range scales with that of the ability used. 1/5 - 20% of Skill's damage in a 3-foot diameter 2/5 - 30% of Skill's damage in a 9-foot diameter 3/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 12-foot diameter 4/5 - 50% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter 5/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter with a 30% chance of slowing enemies. Level 1 Skill: Warning Shot (Active) The Mechanic loads a modified shot into the chamber, and fires it into the air above a location. The shot breaks apart into smaller pieces, falling upon and dealing damage to everyone within a 12-foot circle target area. Does less damage than normal attack. Damage output and element depend on type of equipment used. Restricted to Cannon-type and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Deals 20% of normal damage 2/5 - Deals 35% of normal damage 3/5 - Deals 50% of normal damage 4/5 - Deals 65% of normal damage 5/5 - Deals 80% of normal damage Level 5 Skill: Snare Bomb (Active) The Mechanic throws a handheld bomb into the air above a target. The bomb breaks apart to reveal a spiked net that traps the target for a limited time, and deals a small amount of damage. Cannot escape for the duration of the trap. After the time is up, the target can easily struggle out of the net. Cannot be used when wielding heavy guns. Restricted to Pistol-type, Harpoon guns, and Rifle-type weapons. 1/5 - Lasts for 2 seconds. Does 10% of normal damage 2/5 - Lasts for 3 seconds. Does 12% of normal damage 3/5 - Lasts for 4 seconds. Does 14% of normal damage 4/5 - Lasts for 5 seconds. Does 16% of normal damage 5/5 - Lasts for 6 seconds. Does 18% of normal damage Level 10 Skill: Prototype Ammunition (Passive) Using experimental ammunition, the Mechanic is able to do extra damage to targets. However, the ammunition is not very stable, and effectiveness is not guaranteed. Diversity of ammunition increases as this skill is improved. 1/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Rifles and Pistols 2/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Cannons and Missile launchers 3/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Harpoon guns and Flamethrowers 4/5 - +15% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons 5/5 - +20% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons Level 15 Skill:Burst Round (Active) The Mechanic loads a special round into the chamber, and fires directly at a single target. Upon impact, the shot breaks apart into several bullets, and then those bullets burst into pellets upon contact with an object. Main shot does full damage. Bullets and pellets do less and less damage respectively. Mastery changes it from Area of Effect attack, to focusing down on one target. Restricted to Cannon-type, Rifle-type, Pistol-type, and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Main shot: +50% damage. Bullets: -30% damage. Pellets: -50% damage 2/5 - Main shot: +75% damage. Bullets: -25% damage. Pellets: -45% damage 3/5 - Main shot: +100% damage. Bullets: -20% damage. Pellets: -40% damage 4/5 - Main shot: +125% damage. Bullets: -15% damage. Pellets: -35% damage 5/5 - Main shot: +200% damage. Bullets: -40% damage. Pellets: -60% damage Level 20 Skill: Blitzkrieg (Active) The Mechanic tinkers with their weapon, and then loads a special type of ammunition (Depending on the weapon: Shots for guns, fuel for flamethrower, etc.). And then proceeds to fire a barrage of shots at a single target. Low accuracy per shot, but good chance of hitting agile targets due to the number of shots being fired. Weapon becomes unstable for a short period after this, causing it to deal less damage than normal. Weapon slowly becomes more stable as time passes by. Instability lasts for 20 seconds. 1/5 - Maximum of +125% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 2/5 - Maximum of +150% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 3/5 - Maximum of +175% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 4/5 - Maximum of +200% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 5/5 - Maximum of +250% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 85% afterwards
56,026	1,534	29	709	241	They reached the edge of town, and arrived at their destination. The forest stretched ahead of them, looking as lush and real as could be. A hum was in the air, and Elizea felt as pumped as ever. Wow....I feel great! She thought to herself, the smile that she'd worn the whole time still present. Next to her, Apollo detailed their plan of attack as he sent a Party invite to her. A little icon appeared before her, with a little group of silhouettes. Elizea hit 'Approve', and Apollo's name was added to her HUD before fading away. The Veni Yan nodded in understanding, equipping her Quarterstaff and setting off to find their marks. Her hands gripped the staff, it's light and old wood not exactly encouraging her. For a little bit, she was having no luck finding any adorable creatures that carried nuts. One, however, decided today was the day for it to go foraging, and was scampering through the brush. It stopped abruptly and sat up to stare at Elizea. She smiled, cocking her head to the side. "Hey, little guy. Oh, you're so adorable! Are ya out and about, getting food?" She asked in a cutesy, light voice as she slowly approached, keeping the staff behind her back. When she was close enough, Elizea quickly lashed out with the staff, but the rodent saw the staff too early, and ran out of it's path. It struck the ground hard, sending vibrations though Elizea's bones. Her hands were numbed a bit, and the squirrel took this advantage. It let out some weird call, and another squirrel flew down from one of the trees above. Landing with a thud on her head, it scratched at Elizea, making her squeal in pain. Her HP bar dropped a bit, noting the small damage the newcomer was doing. "Get off me, ya rat!" She yelled, before shaking it off her head, and pinning it to the dirt with the staff. With a quick jab of the weapon, the squirrel disappeared into smoke, leaving behind 2 Nuts. The one who originally called for backup now charged at Elizea pouncing on her leg and delivering a sharp bite. "Y'oww!" Another squeal issued from the young woman's lips, causing her to sharply kick the creature off, and bring the staff down on it hard before it could regain balance. She delivered another swift attack, dropping 1 Nut. Gathering her spoils, the counter increased. Nuts Gathered: 5/10 "Stupid things...can't believe I thought they were cute..." Elizea muttered, too enthralled in battle to notice Apollo's cannon fire. Though there was a bit of ringing in her ears...This realism is still so shocking... Elizea marveled, deciding to place the staff on her back and work with range to fight the remaining squirrels.	Appearance - IGN(In-Game Name) – Elizea Roria Nickname – Elly Age - 19 Gender - Female Persona – A peppy, bright girl, Elizea is an optimist through and through. Never one to back down from a challenge, she tends to get herself into rather tight situations, a problem both in-game and out. Failures cause her spirits to sink for quite a while, often blaming the problems of others on herself. In order to prevent this, Elizea goes out of her way to make sure everyone stays in tip-top shape, and out of trouble. Some see this as nagging, but it's a necessary precaution for her to take, to ensure success in all ventures. Brief Background – Outside of the game, Elizea, or Sarah Willows, was an intelligent student, with her head often in the clouds. Daydreaming as she did, she didn't do as well in school as she should have. How could she, when there were entire lands to visit in her mind? Needless to say, her parents nor her teachers didn't approve of such behavior, and she was prescribed medication to help her attention. Sarah hated the medicine, as most children do. It dulled her. During one visit with a friend, Sarah skipped taking her medicine. They were going to have a bonfire, and she wanted to be alert for it. As the fire went on, Sarah was off staring into space once more. During this, one of her friends tripped right in front of her, into the fire. The girl suffered horrible burns, scarring practically everything on her body. Sarah knew that if she were paying attention, she could have caught her. While the girl was able to get reconstruction surgery to repair the damage, it didn't mean that she had experienced serious pain. This developed into a guilt so strong, any failure she witnessed, be it her's or another's, reminded her that she was flawed. Out of high school, she took a waitress job at a local restaurant, to try and take her mind off things. Long story short, it didn't work. Then she discovered Threshold of Kakophonia. It looked so incredible...and it was exactly what she had dreamed of. A world to escape into. Sarah saved money as fast as she could, and made sure to secure a set for herself. On the day of the launch, she giddily strapped on the gear and entered the game. She took the name Elizea Roria, something much more exciting than her boring old name. Race – Veni Yan Class - Acolyte Profession – N/A Skills - Acolyte Skills Honed Spirit (Passive) 1/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 5% 2/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 10% 3/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 15% 4/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 20% 5/5: Spell Effectiveness is incresed by 30% Mending Pulse (Active) The Acolyte summons a spirit which releases a pulse of healing energy in a 10 ft around the caster. Allies caught in it recover 10% of HP. 1/5: Range of pulse becomes 12 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 2%(12%) 2/5: Range becomes 14 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 8%(18%) 3/5: Range becomes 16 ft. Amount of Hp healed increased by 11%(21%) 4/5: Range becomes 18 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 15%(25%) 5/5: Range becomes 20 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 20%(30%) Burning Synergy (Active)(Toggle) Add fire damage to current weapon. Reserves 10% of the Acolyte's mana. 1/5: Adds 5% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 12% 2/5: Adds 9% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 15% 3/5: Adds 13% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 18% 4/5: Adds 17% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 21% 5/5: Adds 21% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 24% Frigid Spike (Active) The Acolyte summons an ice fairy that launches a spear of ice at the target, dealing ice damage, as well as ignoring 5% armor. 1/5: Damage increases by 6%. Ignores 7% of armor. MP Cost increased by 9% 2/5: Damage increases by 10%. Ignores 9% of armor. MP Cost increased by 12%. Target has a 15% chance of being slowed. 3/5:Damage increases by 14%. Ignores 11% of armor. MP Cost increased by 15%. Target has a 20% chance of being slowed. 4/5: Damage increases by 18%. Ignores 14% of armor. MP Cost increased by 18%. Target has a 25% chance of being slowed. 5/5: Damage increases by 22%. Ignores 17% of armor. MP Cost increased by 21%. Target has a 30% chance of being slowed. Divine Gift (Active) The caster summons a fairy to come and revive fallen allies at 50% HP. 1/5: HP restored increased to 60%. 2/5: HP restored increased to 70%. 3/5: HP restored increased to 80%. Rezzed players receive a brief 10% boost in physical damage for 30 seconds 4/5: HP Restored increased to 90%. Rezzed players reveive a 10% boost in Phys. Damage, as well as a 10% Phys. Defense resist for 30 seconds 5/5: Boosts in Phys. Damage and Defense increased to 20%. Channeled Thunder (Active) The Acolyte charges the air around them with electric energy, sending crackling arcs of lightning out around them. Arcs a bolt of powerful lightining between foes. 1/5: Damage increased by 10%.Inflicts 2 second stun 2/5: damage increased by 15%. Enemies wearing metallic armor receive increased damage. 3/5: Damage increased by 20%. 4/5: Damage increased by 25%. Stun increases to 3 seconds 5/5: Damage increased by 30%.
56,027	1,534	30	763	2,065	<<Windswept Plateau>> <<Combat-Enabled Field>> <<Level 0-15>> It was pretty pretty, Liliz had to give it that. A field of hay-colored grass, a warm sun and blue sky, filled with players milling about, trampling wildlife as they hunted for squirrels to butcher. A pleasant, dry wind swept outwards from the lake, cooling those hotblooded nerds as they butchered the rodents and stole their nuts. There wasn't any blood though, so the corpses of the squirrels simply popped after their HP bars turned to zero, showering the adventurers with bounties of miscellaneous items and EXP which took the form of small streams of green light, swirling around the players before dissipating. So pretty. It seemed like quite a few were levelling up as well, the green light they have accumulated expanding outwards once more, before turning gold and collapsing back into them. Despite the fact that the field was rather filled up with people, it was still open enough that there was plenty of room for people to run around in, squirrels abound, leaping around in sparse trees or inside little holes. The realism was real, and Liliz was enjoying it very much. Springing across the hunting field, she frolicked and pranced around, glad to make use of her legs as she chased cute little squirrels around. It was really a simple thing, hunting down squirrels, and Liliz wasn't exactly sure why others were having so much trouble. Must be because they were game nerds and she was essentially a jock. Bounding from one place to another, she attracted aggro from the squirrels, who promptly jumped and bit her. The pain was simply the feeling of numbness, and the squirrels barely did any damage to her. All she had to do afterwards was to rip the squirrel off her body, pin it against the ground, and chop it up using her axe, as if she was shredding cabbage. A brutal, quick, simplistic method of death-dealing. All she needed to do was sacrifice a meagre portion of her HP in order to get some easy kills. By the time she heartlessly beheaded the last baby squirrel, she was already on her tenth, and still had 90% of her HP left. “Oi, Bishop, done your kills yet? We need ten nuts per person, right?”	Nickname – Lily Age - 15 Gender - Female Description – Liliz was not someone who originally played MMOs. Even with all those exciting gaming developments stretching around her, she was the type of person who just couldn't see the point in it. Virtual reality may be realistic, but in the end, it wasn't a 'real' world. Honestly, she couldn't find any interest in doing such things, and that girl has a muted interested in game related things. A loud-mouthed individual who's full of criticism, Liliz enjoys sports and camping, even when the only forests left on Earth were government-protected national parks. She likes challenges, and is obssessed with the world that once was, the world where there were still hidden things. Now, the only place left in the world is space, and space didn't have new species of animals or plants. A barbarian of an adventurer with no sense of etiquette, Liliz is a girl born in the wrong era, someone who, despite her best efforts, is slowly getting crushed by reality. Her family was filled with intellectuals, and her oddity simply caused her to become isolated from them. Though her father supported her, Liliz could tell that he was displeased with his daughter being a tomboy. Those days, tomboys were simply delinquents, for the more adventurous things, such as climbing old buildings and diving in shallow coves was no longer possible. She occupied herself with physical activity, yet could not find any true, lasting happiness. It was a tiresome, suppressing life. That was the fate that he saved her from. Not directly, but indirectly. In her eighth grade, she had a crush on a boy, an exciting prospect. She fell in love more for the sake of doing so, so she could experience something she hadn't done before. It was fun, heart-pounding, watching him from afar with rose-tinted glasses, and as she continued to watch him, never able to get the courage to actually say 'hi', she learned of his interests. A fascination? An obssession? Liliz knew nothing about this Threshold of Kakophonia, but she did know that she liked the way he looked when he spoke of the thing that interested him so much. Apparently, he was one of the few beta testers, and his IGN was Kikusa. That was nice to know. And when that game was released, Liliz used her New Year's money and some connections to get a copy of the game. Maybe she wouldn't be able to speak to him in real life, but perhaps in a virtual world, she can slowly get closer to him? With those thoughts in mind, she logged in. The first love of her life was a boy with messy, dark hair. The second love of her life was a world that could no longer exist on Earth. Race – Human Class - Warrior Profession – N/A Base Passive - Iron Spirit A percentage of the warrior's maximum ki pool value is converted into defense, lowering ki pool in exchange for higher defense. 1/5 6% of Ki Pool is converted into +6% base defense 2/5 12% of Ki Pool is converted into +12% base defense 3/5 18% of Ki Pool is converted into +18% base defense 4/5 24% of Ki Pool is converted into +24% base defense 5/5 30% of Ki Pool is converted into +30% base defense. Lvl 1 Active - Crater Dive The Warrior leaps into the air, before crashing towards the targetted location, causing moderate physical damage to the target and a small shockwave AOE to nearby enemies. Has a fast casting time and low cooldown. 1/5 Leap distance maxes at 10ft, and shockwave radius is 5ft. 2/5 Leap distance maxes at 20ft, and shockwave radius is 7ft. 3/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. 4/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 20% chance of a 2s stun. 5/5 Leap distance maxes at 30ft, and shockwave radius is 10ft. Shockwave has a 40% chance of a 2s stun. Lvl 5 Active - Zero Impact The Warrior strikes the target with the flat of their blade. Does no damage, but causes a knockback of 10ft and aggros the target. Single-mob skill, but the effect of the taunt can be passed on if that monster hits another monster. 1/5 Ki cost decreases by 20%. 2/5 Ki cost decreases by 30%. 3/5 Ki cost decreases by 50%. 4/5 Has 30% chance of creating a 5ft shockwave acting as a taunt. 5/5 Has 50% chance of creating a 7ft shockwave acting as a taunt. Lvl 10 Active - Wheel of Pain The Warrior spins to win, dealing AOE damage to all around them for five seconds, being stationary while doing so. There is a minor suction effect while the spell is being cast, drawing in nearby mobs, and the damage of Wheel of Pain is dependent on the number of monsters being attacked. 1/5 Damage increases by 5% per monster. 2/5 Damage increases by 10% per monster. 3/5 Damage increases by 15% per monster. 2% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 4/5 Damage increases by 20% per monster. 4% of the total damage dealt is lifeleeched. 5/5 Damage increases by 25% per monster. 5% of total damage dealt is lifeleeched. Lvl 15 Passive - Knight's Unity The Warrior gains more physical attack damage and speed in accordance to the number of people there are in the party, with a maximum number of 20 other people. 1/5 - 1% increase in speed and damage per person. 2/5 - 2% increase in speed and damage per person. 3/5 - 3% increase in speed and damage per person. 4/5 - 4% increase in speed and damage per person. 5/5 - 5% increase in speed and damage per person. Lvl 20 Active - King Slayer King Slayer is an active that has two different effects, dependent on the amount of HP the enemy has left. In the 'Battle' phase, King Slayer is a high cooldown, low Ki cost spell that strikes the target's leg, severely decreasing their movement speed for a short amount of time. In the 'Execute' phase, King Slayer becomes a low cooldown, high Ki cost spell in which the Warrior swings at the target's neck, causing extremely high physical damage to the target. 1/5 - 30% movement speed decrease for 3s. 2/5 - 40% movement speed decrease for 3s. 3/5 - 50% movement speed decrease for 3s. 30% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 4/5 - 60% movement speed decrease for 3s. 40% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes. 5/5 - 70% movement speed decrease for 3s. 50% chance of inflicting Panic on all nearby targets if it Executes.
56,028	1,534	31	130	423	As Emi quickly joined the two, some excitement happened within the crowd causing it to encroach around the three. In a struggle to find the two newly acquainted, she instead found the cause of the scene. A fellow player had just found out how to form a guild, people swarmed the young boy who was in his early teens pestering and prodding him for information like he was an expert. Suddenly she had realized that the two were gone without a trace, leaving her alone once again. A little shaken, and disheartened all the same Emi returned to looking for the potter. "This road looks familiar.." Suddenly a familiar voice could be heard, calling out her name and waving his hands was the potter not too far up the road. More excited than she should be, she sprinted towards the man's empty stall huffing and puffing on arrival.The man patted the seat she sat on before, the offer in which she gladly took him up on. "Thanks for taking on tha' errand. I got word that the sh' got it." Emi nodded in response, still out of breath from sprinting towards the man. "As ya' reward, I'll give you some info." The potter began to lecture the girl giving lengthy descriptions of all the races, the veni, the humans, the nobelle. She had saw them when she made her character. He spoke somewhat on what their culture was like, she had already decided on her race after all. When he finishes his eyes flashed once again, getting Emi's attention. "Oh, since ya' seem to be the helpful type. Why dun't ya' go get me some nuts. They sell good an' are good for th' festival." Shortly after several items were added to her inventory, weapons to be exact, There was no weight factor, so she kept them all, unable to decide which was befitting for her. Though after waving off the potter and leaving for the next part of the quest, she was swept up into the crowd again bringing her further down into the town. Though there was an exit at this end as well. As she struggled to break from the current of players she fell on her knees outside of the town this time. <<Windswept Plateau>> <<Combat-Enabled Field>> <<Level 0-15>>	IGN(In-Game Name) – Amai Nickname – Emi Age – 17 Gender – Female Persona – Amai is a very shy girl, her preferred form of communication with people is without physical contact. Often staying away from things like voice or video chat, preferring text communication more than anything. Though in retrospect, when she does communicate with people indirectly she seems like a cheerful girl, sounding upbeat and completely different. What would draw such a girl towards the VRMMO you might ask, well the answer is simple, peer pressure. With a girl who is shy within the common world, friends are indeed hard to make, so as they progressed she would need to keep up. And as they saw this rising star of a game arise, they believed it was time to move on from their old dreary mmo onto something new. The transition would be hard, and Amai is nervous- but we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Brief Background – At the age of seven, Amai was first introduced to online gaming as her mother screamed into her headset playing the popular MMO of her time Underworld Online at her work desk. As the little girl tugged at her mother’s sleeve for attention, the woman was too entranced by the battle she had been facing to noticed. Rather than get upset or cry, the young Amai was awed of the determined expression on her mother’s face. The following year, Amai asked for her own computer as a birthday present and in that year she played the same game as her mother, learning the basics and striving for greatness. She played the game religiously throughout her younger years, and by her last year of middle school she was in a top tier raiding guild. But the game she had gotten so good at was now many years old, even her mother had quit it to focus more on work. Though her guild lived on, flocking from one game to another until they found one they liked. They settled on Seven Blades, an action-combat mmo for a couple years, but then ToK was released. It was a VRMMO, something Amai had never tried before, it was scary but all of her friends were moving on. She didn’t want to be left behind, so along with the many who lifted anchor for this game- she started anew to defeat this games challenges like the rest. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Alchemist Profession – Will be added when chosen through RP. Alchemist Skills Anima – Stone The circle Anima is created giving life to that which the transmutation circle is written upon. Stone allows the Alchemist to summon force a stone golem that will serve the alchemist as a protector. Anima lingers until the transmutation circle is destroyed or the Alchemist is defeated in battle. 1/5 - Stone 2/5 - Granite 3/5 - Obsidian 4/5 - Mechanical 5/5 - Archon - Lvl Scales with Caster The stone golem's benefit to the party is off-tank capabilities and additional melee damage. They have above average health for a level 20 monster and are surprising tanky to support this. Stone Golems are silent and emotionless and obey only the alchemist's commands, though it is unknown what happens if the alchemist is defeated while a golem is still active. will do others as they come to play Aquas - Shower The transmutation circle Aquas is created, causing the ally it is cast upon to regain health per second as rain pours from the sky above them. The regenerative waters will continue to fall upon the targeted ally until 10% of their health has been regained from this ability, furthermore a puddle will be created under the allies' feet and will be left behind for 15 seconds, allies that pass through this puddle will be granted a small magic resistance increase for 5 seconds. 1/5 - 10% of Health cap to healing 2% every second for 5 seconds. 2/5 - 15% of Health cap to healing 3% every second for 5 seconds. 3/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 4% every second for 5 seconds. 4/5 - 20% of Health cap to healing 5% every second for 4 seconds. 5/5 - Puddles created by Aquas now grant increased magic resistance for 10 seconds. Overclock* Increases all healing done by 10% for ten seconds, if a spell is not cast within the duration the Alchemist will be able to recast this spell again without triggering it's cooldown. Overclock* Deals increased damage inevitably. Frigoris – Glaciate The transmutation circle Frigoris is created, causing the surface it is written upon to slowly begin to freeze. Glaciate deals even damage regardless of the transmutation circle's time being created, though will do increased damage if another circle takes it's place causing an effect called Ice Rupture. Ice Rupture removes all freezing effects from enemies though dealing high damage beforehand. Frigoris will stay on it's destinaton until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Slow reduction of 2% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 2/5 - Slow reduction of 4% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 3/5 - Slow reduction of 5% Movement Speed to Freeze Effect. 4/5 - Ice Rupture no longer removes Freeze Effect. 5/5 - Increase damage to Ice Rupture. Overclock * Roots opponent to ground in ice for 2 seconds. Can only occur once. Tempesta – Tranquility The transmutation circle Tempesta is created, causing the surface it is written upon to grant all nearby allies a strengthening boon increasing movement speed and healing five health points every three seconds for thirty seconds. Upon it's completion the transmutation circle will vanish, Tempesta does not linger. 1/5 - Movement speed increased by 5% healing of 5% health per 3 seconds. 2/5 - Movement speed increased by 7% healing of 7% health per 3 seconds. 3/5 - Movement speed increased by 10% healing of 12% health per 3 seconds. 4/5 - Tranquility heals all party members for 10% of health on activation. 5/5 - Movement speed increased by 20% healing of 30% health per 3 seconds. Overclock* Refreshes cooldowns of nearby allies. Ignem – Smolder The transmutation circle Ignem is created causing the surface it is written upon to heat up quickly and weaken it's physical defenses by 10%. Additionally, if another Ignem spell is used in succession to Smolder the effects will last for 5 seconds afterwards. Ignem lingers on it's destination until the transmutation circle is changed. 1/5 - Duration 3 Seconds 2/5 - Duration 4 Seconds 3/5 - Duration 5 Seconds 4/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. 5/5 - Additional 5% Physical defence reduction. Overclock* Decreases enemy fire resistance. Philosopher's Stone: Active Philosopher's Stone allows the Alchemist to create 'huzzah' a Philosopher's Stone. It is an on use consumed item that stores a transmutation circle allowing one to be summoned quickly and without triggering any cooldowns. Once the item is consumed another can be created in twenty-four hours, and only a single Philosopher's Stone may be in the player's possession at a time. 1/5 - 24 Hour Cooldown + 30 Second Cast Time 2/5 - 12 Hour Cooldown + 15 Second Cast Time 3/5 - 6 Hour Cooldown + 7.5 Second Cast Time 4/5 - 3 Hour Cooldown + 3.75 Second Cast Time 5/5 - 1 Hour Cooldown + Instant Cast Time.
56,029	1,534	32	1,962	149	<<Windswept Plateau>> <<Combat-Enabled Field>> <<Level 0-15>> Despite looking visually similar to the oasis that he had first "awoken" to, the new area that Bishop stepped out into couldn't be anymore different. While the outskirts of the town was populated by various players taking their own time getting over the wonders of the first time boot up of Kakophonia, the PCs of Plateau had but one shared goal in mind, testing out their preferred craft of death on lowlife squirrels. Every minute or so a shrill squeal resounded nearby, sometimes accompanied by a verbal pat on the back from other PCs, hopefully at finishing the quest and not for killing a meager squirrel. Bishop sighed as he scanned the field, at a glance the squirrels didn't seem to gather in any particular manner, and were faster than the standard PC movement. "This could be tedious, teaming up might not have helped here after all..." Despite being directed towards the general area of his partner, Liliz had already powered on ahead, eager to start swinging herself, "Oh my, if only it was a shared amount we could have the fastest clear time of the quest yet" he noted before making a bee line towards the nearest prey at a much more leisurely pace. He judged the maximum range of a stab and thrust the spear towards the unsuspecting foe, only to have it jolt away at the last second, "Ah, ah", he immediately swung the spear up towards the squirrel, snagging it by the tip and evaporating it's Health bar,1 nut down. Bishop simply abused the range of his spear, feints don't exactly work on AI, but it was possible to fool it's aggro mechanic until it was too late. “Oi, Bishop, done your kills yet? We need ten nuts per person, right?” Looking up towards the axe wielding girl, Bishop noted the slight chink in her own HP, perhaps a fighting trait worthy of taking note, "Oh finished already? quite the brute for a fairy, just a moment" He had 8 nuts stored at the time, and he had the impression that Liliz wasn't the patient of sorts, however he was situated by a tree, and with a quick sweep at one of the lower branches he had been noting, the last two squirrels popped in minute xp, "There, wonder what kind of reward the town stocks for pest exterminators..." he chimmed as he went to group back up with her.	Nickname – Bishie Age - 21 Gender - Male Persona – "Eccentric" would be a fitting word to describe Bishop's personality, even if a awfully sharp looking monster is bearing down upon him, he always wears a somewhat goofy looking grin. His presence is in stark contrast with the typical flow of battle, while most players likely find them self caught up in battle rage bishop will be nonchalantly weaving in and out of attacks. At a glance he would appear to be indifferent to any level of danger, and being in a game doesn't help this persona, but when it comes down to the line he is known to display a surprisingly sharp mind, stepping into the fray if a fellow player is being overwhelmed without much of a second thought. Brief Background – Bishop is a long standing MMO player who's pulled more than his fair share of overnight raids, while not quite a shut in he spends the majority of his free time engrossed in a piece of technology of some description despite the potential negative stigma that hovers around such a lifestyle. His appearance isn't helped by the fact that he is typically a loner in reality, though this is mostly his choice. He was always a difficult person to mesh with, despite his outwardly friendly persona his underlying indifference made him difficult to befriend, as such he was generally popular during his middle and high school years, but only properly spoke to a very select group of people. Bishop is currently taking college classes, studying towards the development of his greatest hobby, computer programming a pursuit which partially lends itself to the long hours spent watching countless avatars follow his inputs on a screen. Despite this he had been feeling a sense of burn out with the MMO scene, how many times had he hit 1 for a sword slash? how many fetch quests had he done watching the hundreds of pixels animate his avatar running after ore X, because of this he became delighted upon hearing of ToK, something that had once been a distant nerd's dream had been fully realized, and a long lost desire actively filled each passing day tentatively awaiting this dreamy VRMMO. It had been too long since he had experienced something worthy of sinking uncountable volumes of time into, the money to cover it was a far, far secondary concern. Race – Human Class - Martial Artist ProfSkills – TBA Base Active: Flash Step (Active) Not quite a teleport, flash step moves the martial artist a short distance in a blink of an eye, however as it is only a superspeed movement, the move lacks any I frames, but is an excellent spacing tool for the class. Flash steps can only be activated on the ground (very low ki consumption) 1/5 Able to chain a second, free step 2/5 Able to chain a third, free step 3/5 Boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% 4/5 Delays chain activation by 2 seconds, allowing for the use a skill in between chains. 5/5 Further boosts distance of each flash step, MP cost increased by 1% Level 1 Skill Pulse Wave (Active) Range: 15 meters A mid ranged magic attack that sends out a sphere of ki that expands on contact. Hits for little damage but causes knockback of 4 meters(base). (low ki consumption) 1/5 Increases Impact force by 3%, Increases MP cost by 1% 2/5 Increases Impact force by 5%, Increases MP cost by 2% 3/5 Expands radius of sphere by 4% 4/5 Reduces casting time by 1 second 5/5 Further expands radius of sphere by 5% Level 5 Skill Serenity (Passive) The martial artist hones his senses, becoming more sensitive to the flow of Ki, improving his ability to aquire and discharge Ki 1/5 2% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 2/5 4% boost to ki regen rate, 3% boost to spell damage 3/5 3% boost to ki regen rate, 5% boost to spell damage 4/5 6% boost to ki regen rate, 6% boost to spell damage 5/5 10% boost to ki regen rate, 10% boost to spell damage, 2% Increase in MP for all spells Level 10 Skill Arc Blitz (Active) Range: 10 meters The martial artist releases an arc of ki that surges forwards dealing equal damage to all caught within. Furthermore, if the target still stands, a residual ki sliver debuff lingers on the target that will explode if any magical energy touches it, dealing 50% of the skill's damage 1/5 4% Damage boost 2/5 8% Damage boost 3/5 Increases arc radius by 4% 4/5 11% Damage boost 5/5 15% Damage boost, Arc radius increased by 6% Level 15 Sanguine (Passive) Converts a portion of damage recieved into ki, with the ability to temporarily store ki gained through this passive beyond natural ki reserve for 1 minutes 1/5 3% damage recieved converted to ki, 10% bonus ki reserve 2/5 5% damage recieved converted to ki, 15% bonus ki reserve 3/5 8% damage recieved converted to ki, 20% bonus ki reserve 4/5 12% damage recieved converted to ki, 25% bonus ki reserve 5/5 15% damage recieved converted to ki, extends time bonus ki reserve held by 3 minute Level 20 Skill Ethereal Drive (Active) Range: 15 meters A high DPS Skill The martial artist channels an intense amount of ki into a violent beam of energy that continuously assaults targets unfortunate enough to be standing in front of the MA, can move freely while the skill is active to change targets, however it rapidly drains Ki reserves for every second active. 1/5 Damage boost by 5% 2/5 Damage boost by 10% 3/5 Applies Ki Sliver debuff per hit at 30% skill damage, cannot be detonated by the etheral drive itself 4/5 Damage boost by 20% 5/5 Damage boost by 20%, reduces MP cost per second by 15%
56,030	1,534	33	2,030	539	<<Windswept Plateau>> <<Combat-Enabled Field>> <<Level 0-15>> Nuts collected: 7/10 Shattered glass was all around the area. In the center of it was a tired Apollo, with the Tattered Gloves equipped. He was tired from throwing around the elemental vials that weapon used. It was harder than the cannon due to the fact that he needed to throw with the right amount of force to land a hit, whereas with the cannon, all he had to do was aim and fire. Deciding that the other 2 weapons weren't cut out for him, he switched back to the Cannon in his quick-swap. Immediately afterwards, he spotted a squirrel run up a nearby tree. Reflexively firing the gun, he managed to knock one of the branches off. The squirrel wasn't hit directly, but it caused it to fall off and take fall damage. After the cooldown of shot finished up, he fired one more killing blow, and collected his spoils from the puff of smoke. Nuts collected: 8/10 It was at this moment that he unwittingly wandered into the aggro area of two other squirrels. Being attacked from two different directions caused him trouble to identify which target to deal with first. As such, instead of picking a target and blasting away, Apollo did the worst thing he could possibly do at that time: he stood still and considered his situation. In those few seconds of contemplation, he was bitten and scratched by both squirrels, making his HP bar drop to 63% (As it was already weakened from previous battles). Feeling the numbness in the wounded area, and seeing his Health drop, Apollo decided to fallback. Thankfully, the squirrels didn't pursue him immediately, gving him enough time to think of a quick strategy: He intended to blast in the middle of the squirrels to knock them away, and then retreat as he waited for the cool down. Once they were both back on their feet, he would kite them close to each other again to land the next shot. Rinse and repeat until they were dead. "I hope I can pull this off..."/I] he thought as he aimed the cannon at the two approaching enemies. Lining the ironsights right in the middle of them, he fired. The shot exploded dead center, knocking both of them apart. "Perfect shot!" He thought happily as he retreated further back. After recovering from the blast, the squirrels gave chase again. Apollo ran in a circle around them, hoping to somehow bring them closer to each other. After only a few seconds, it worked. The Cannoneer took aim again at their middle, and blasted the final shot. The two squirrels were launched into nearby trees, and turned into smoke the moment they hit the wood. Happy with his recovery from being taken by surprise (and failing to act immediately), he collected the last few nuts he needed and called out. "Elizea, I'm all finished here! Do you need help? Or should I just wait for you at the edge of the combat area?" He said to the female Veni Yan player in the distance. He asked before actually going to help because, while he wished to help her get it done faster, he didn't want it to seem like he was underestimating her combat abilities by not letting her finish on her own.	IGN - Apollo Winter Nickname - App Age - 18 Gender – Male Persona - Growing up, Adrian Winter was known as the “smart kid”. He had good grades all around, but was never good at socializing. In the real world, he is not great at speaking with others. He is also rather reserved and pacifistic in real life. In the game world however, he finds it easier to speak and make friends with people, and uses his intelligence to concoct battle strategies to hit the enemy where it hurts. He prefers to avoid rushing into a fight, and takes the time to analyze the situation. Because of this, most people call him “App”, because he acts like an application for making battleplans. However, his more complex plans require to be carried out exactly, so if something unexpected happens, Apollo needs time to think of a new one altogether. And time is a rare luxury in Kakophonia. Brief background – Adrian was born to the wealthy Winter Family, the owner of the Winter Group, a large business conglomerate.Despite this, his parents made sure he was never pampered in order to make sure he had a good personality. They wanted him to focus on studies in order to continue the family line. Thus, he was sent to prestigious schools where he followed his parents’ instructions and strived for excellence. Unfortunately, this was at the sacrifice of his social skills, and he had trouble making friends. One because of his looks, and two because of how intimidated people became when they hear that he is the son of the Winter family. Soon afterwards, he was introduced into the world of online games, and Adrian found out that he had an easier time with people online. More so because he could choose to look like anything he wished, and no one knew that he was the next in line for the Winter Group. His parents rewarded his good grades with the online video games he asked for. They also thought it would help with his socialization problems. When the hyped-up VR game: “Threshold of Kakophonia” was released to the public, his parents used their influence to get him one of the first few copies in their area. Upon logging in, their Adrian Winter adopted the virtual persona: Apollo Winter. --- Race – Nobelle Class – Mechanic Profession – N/A Mechanic Skills Base Skill: Hazard Zone (Passive) Causes single target abilities to deal AOE damage. Damage and range scales with that of the ability used. 1/5 - 20% of Skill's damage in a 3-foot diameter 2/5 - 30% of Skill's damage in a 9-foot diameter 3/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 12-foot diameter 4/5 - 50% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter 5/5 - 40% of Skill's damage in a 15-foot diameter with a 30% chance of slowing enemies. Level 1 Skill: Warning Shot (Active) The Mechanic loads a modified shot into the chamber, and fires it into the air above a location. The shot breaks apart into smaller pieces, falling upon and dealing damage to everyone within a 12-foot circle target area. Does less damage than normal attack. Damage output and element depend on type of equipment used. Restricted to Cannon-type and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Deals 20% of normal damage 2/5 - Deals 35% of normal damage 3/5 - Deals 50% of normal damage 4/5 - Deals 65% of normal damage 5/5 - Deals 80% of normal damage Level 5 Skill: Snare Bomb (Active) The Mechanic throws a handheld bomb into the air above a target. The bomb breaks apart to reveal a spiked net that traps the target for a limited time, and deals a small amount of damage. Cannot escape for the duration of the trap. After the time is up, the target can easily struggle out of the net. Cannot be used when wielding heavy guns. Restricted to Pistol-type, Harpoon guns, and Rifle-type weapons. 1/5 - Lasts for 2 seconds. Does 10% of normal damage 2/5 - Lasts for 3 seconds. Does 12% of normal damage 3/5 - Lasts for 4 seconds. Does 14% of normal damage 4/5 - Lasts for 5 seconds. Does 16% of normal damage 5/5 - Lasts for 6 seconds. Does 18% of normal damage Level 10 Skill: Prototype Ammunition (Passive) Using experimental ammunition, the Mechanic is able to do extra damage to targets. However, the ammunition is not very stable, and effectiveness is not guaranteed. Diversity of ammunition increases as this skill is improved. 1/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Rifles and Pistols 2/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Cannons and Missile launchers 3/5 - +10% chance to critical hit with Harpoon guns and Flamethrowers 4/5 - +15% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons 5/5 - +20% chance to critical hit with all Gun-weapons Level 15 Skill:Burst Round (Active) The Mechanic loads a special round into the chamber, and fires directly at a single target. Upon impact, the shot breaks apart into several bullets, and then those bullets burst into pellets upon contact with an object. Main shot does full damage. Bullets and pellets do less and less damage respectively. Mastery changes it from Area of Effect attack, to focusing down on one target. Restricted to Cannon-type, Rifle-type, Pistol-type, and Missile-launcher weapons 1/5 - Main shot: +50% damage. Bullets: -30% damage. Pellets: -50% damage 2/5 - Main shot: +75% damage. Bullets: -25% damage. Pellets: -45% damage 3/5 - Main shot: +100% damage. Bullets: -20% damage. Pellets: -40% damage 4/5 - Main shot: +125% damage. Bullets: -15% damage. Pellets: -35% damage 5/5 - Main shot: +200% damage. Bullets: -40% damage. Pellets: -60% damage Level 20 Skill: Blitzkrieg (Active) The Mechanic tinkers with their weapon, and then loads a special type of ammunition (Depending on the weapon: Shots for guns, fuel for flamethrower, etc.). And then proceeds to fire a barrage of shots at a single target. Low accuracy per shot, but good chance of hitting agile targets due to the number of shots being fired. Weapon becomes unstable for a short period after this, causing it to deal less damage than normal. Weapon slowly becomes more stable as time passes by. Instability lasts for 20 seconds. 1/5 - Maximum of +125% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 2/5 - Maximum of +150% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 3/5 - Maximum of +175% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 4/5 - Maximum of +200% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 50% afterwards 5/5 - Maximum of +250% damage. Reduces all attack damage by 85% afterwards
56,031	1,534	34	709	241	<<Windswept Plateau>> <<Combat-Enabled Field>> <<Level 0-15>> Nuts collected: 9/10 Just a little ways away, the sounds of breaking glass filled the forest air, and Elizea had to turn and laugh a bit as the quest counter moved closer to the goal. The quest was going faster, and was even more fun, with another pair of hands helping complete the objective. She had to hand it to the developers, they made even the simple task of fighting starter monsters exciting. After taking care of his squirrels, they had 8 Nuts, and just one or two more squirrels would net them some weapons to keep and face down the hoards of the starting zone with. If they could even be called hordes anymore, what with the influx of players. Apollo shouted and asked if she wanted any help, and Elizea gave a nod and a thumbs up. "Sure! Come on over!" She affirmed, before turning and drawing her chakram. So...how was she supposed to use it? Did it automatically come back? She hoped it would, because it'd be awfully inconvenient if it didn't. :Looking around some more, it wasn't too long before she spotted a couple of the little wood rats cuddling like they do on cartoons. Oooh, I'm gonna have fun breaking that up... Creeping up with a sly smile, the Veni Yan turned to the Nobelle near her. "Be sure to get that one when it runs." She motioned before turning again and activating her chakram skill. With a spin of her body, she let the metal ring fly, it's beaten yet sharp edge cutting the air and curving towards the enemy. It hadn't noticed her, surprisingly, and was greeted with a sharp attack to the back, dealing a nice amount of damage. The other promptly scurried towards them, as well as the one that was hit, both looking quite angry. Elizea stuck to attacking at a range, missing frequently due to the low accuracy and skill she had with the weapon. Before the squirrel had been vanquished, it had dealt a fair amount of scratches and damage to Elizea. "Man, that stings..." Elizea grimaced, rubbing the bites and scratches. Looking to Apollo, he too had a few knicks. Picking up the Nut her squirrel dropped, she flew to aid her Nobelle friend. Sheathing her chakram, and equipping her staff once more, she got into a position and smiled, ready to finish the quest.	Appearance - IGN(In-Game Name) – Elizea Roria Nickname – Elly Age - 19 Gender - Female Persona – A peppy, bright girl, Elizea is an optimist through and through. Never one to back down from a challenge, she tends to get herself into rather tight situations, a problem both in-game and out. Failures cause her spirits to sink for quite a while, often blaming the problems of others on herself. In order to prevent this, Elizea goes out of her way to make sure everyone stays in tip-top shape, and out of trouble. Some see this as nagging, but it's a necessary precaution for her to take, to ensure success in all ventures. Brief Background – Outside of the game, Elizea, or Sarah Willows, was an intelligent student, with her head often in the clouds. Daydreaming as she did, she didn't do as well in school as she should have. How could she, when there were entire lands to visit in her mind? Needless to say, her parents nor her teachers didn't approve of such behavior, and she was prescribed medication to help her attention. Sarah hated the medicine, as most children do. It dulled her. During one visit with a friend, Sarah skipped taking her medicine. They were going to have a bonfire, and she wanted to be alert for it. As the fire went on, Sarah was off staring into space once more. During this, one of her friends tripped right in front of her, into the fire. The girl suffered horrible burns, scarring practically everything on her body. Sarah knew that if she were paying attention, she could have caught her. While the girl was able to get reconstruction surgery to repair the damage, it didn't mean that she had experienced serious pain. This developed into a guilt so strong, any failure she witnessed, be it her's or another's, reminded her that she was flawed. Out of high school, she took a waitress job at a local restaurant, to try and take her mind off things. Long story short, it didn't work. Then she discovered Threshold of Kakophonia. It looked so incredible...and it was exactly what she had dreamed of. A world to escape into. Sarah saved money as fast as she could, and made sure to secure a set for herself. On the day of the launch, she giddily strapped on the gear and entered the game. She took the name Elizea Roria, something much more exciting than her boring old name. Race – Veni Yan Class - Acolyte Profession – N/A Skills - Acolyte Skills Honed Spirit (Passive) 1/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 5% 2/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 10% 3/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 15% 4/5: Spell Effectiveness increased by 20% 5/5: Spell Effectiveness is incresed by 30% Mending Pulse (Active) The Acolyte summons a spirit which releases a pulse of healing energy in a 10 ft around the caster. Allies caught in it recover 10% of HP. 1/5: Range of pulse becomes 12 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 2%(12%) 2/5: Range becomes 14 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 8%(18%) 3/5: Range becomes 16 ft. Amount of Hp healed increased by 11%(21%) 4/5: Range becomes 18 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 15%(25%) 5/5: Range becomes 20 ft. Amount of HP healed increased by 20%(30%) Burning Synergy (Active)(Toggle) Add fire damage to current weapon. Reserves 10% of the Acolyte's mana. 1/5: Adds 5% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 12% 2/5: Adds 9% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 15% 3/5: Adds 13% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 18% 4/5: Adds 17% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 21% 5/5: Adds 21% of a weapon's base damage in fire damage. Reserve increases to 24% Frigid Spike (Active) The Acolyte summons an ice fairy that launches a spear of ice at the target, dealing ice damage, as well as ignoring 5% armor. 1/5: Damage increases by 6%. Ignores 7% of armor. MP Cost increased by 9% 2/5: Damage increases by 10%. Ignores 9% of armor. MP Cost increased by 12%. Target has a 15% chance of being slowed. 3/5:Damage increases by 14%. Ignores 11% of armor. MP Cost increased by 15%. Target has a 20% chance of being slowed. 4/5: Damage increases by 18%. Ignores 14% of armor. MP Cost increased by 18%. Target has a 25% chance of being slowed. 5/5: Damage increases by 22%. Ignores 17% of armor. MP Cost increased by 21%. Target has a 30% chance of being slowed. Divine Gift (Active) The caster summons a fairy to come and revive fallen allies at 50% HP. 1/5: HP restored increased to 60%. 2/5: HP restored increased to 70%. 3/5: HP restored increased to 80%. Rezzed players receive a brief 10% boost in physical damage for 30 seconds 4/5: HP Restored increased to 90%. Rezzed players reveive a 10% boost in Phys. Damage, as well as a 10% Phys. Defense resist for 30 seconds 5/5: Boosts in Phys. Damage and Defense increased to 20%. Channeled Thunder (Active) The Acolyte charges the air around them with electric energy, sending crackling arcs of lightning out around them. Arcs a bolt of powerful lightining between foes. 1/5: Damage increased by 10%.Inflicts 2 second stun 2/5: damage increased by 15%. Enemies wearing metallic armor receive increased damage. 3/5: Damage increased by 20%. 4/5: Damage increased by 25%. Stun increases to 3 seconds 5/5: Damage increased by 30%.
56,032	1,535	0	1,635	6,753	The trees and brush broke away to reveal the large blue lake that sat in the mountains' valley. Alice adjusted her bag on her back as she walked closer to it, her face in awe. She had been looking up pictures of this place since she decided to hike here but they didn't match up to the actual sight. They had started hiking from their school sometime in the early morning and the trip had taken them all day, leaving them to look at the last fading lights of the day. Tate walked passed Alice before coming to a stop and looking over it all, "So this is it?" He asked, his voice giving away his own amazement. Alice nodded before she took off her backpack. She suddenly felt pounds lighter with the bag sitting on the ground. She turned and looked at the group, "Alright," She said with a grin, "I... I guess we should set up camp with the light we have." Elias stepped out of the bush and threw his things down next to Alice's, which were quickly joined by Tate's. He crouched down and pulled tent and sleeping bag off of his backpack and looked at the youngest of their group, "Tents and then fire, I think." Tate shook his head, "If we put of fire building, we won't be able to find stick... Why don't use men build the tents and let the girls find us from firewood." He looked between Alice and Sophia, "Sound good?"	Name: Sophia Ryder Age: 19 Year: Freshman, first year Major: Medicine, sub majoring in music studies. Personality: Sophia was always one of the louder girls back in high school, she is usually seen to be one of the party girls when she is around her friends but when she is actually alone Sophia tends to be very quiet but it is almost never seen by any of her friends. But Sophia does have a good heart and will usually be the one who will always try and cheer those up who need it. She also will try and stand up for her friends for whenever they need it. Strengths: Sophia is always seen around her friends as a confident person who can be protective over them whenever they need someone to talk to. She also is very athletic and is always in good shape, and takes care of herself Sophia also knows how to tend to small wounds and some medicine. Sophia also loves to try and help those who are in need. Weaknesses: Sophia has a huge fear of the water and will try and avoid large bodies of water as much as she can due to a traumatic experience when she was in high school. And she tends to never talk about it, Sophia will usually be standing near the shore when she is near a lake or at the beach and will never even go into a pool she also has a slight fear of being in cars and usually tends to be very tense. Reason: Sophia wanted to go and do something else rather then go home to her family, and going to the beach always seemed very cheesy to her when she saw the poster made by Alice she decided to ask to join her. Bio: Sophia was born into a rather small family having a younger brother and a younger sister, she was very close to her siblings as well as her mother and father. Though she never really saw much of her father due to him traveling around constantly, but as Sophia grew up she started to become slightly rowdy, she started to go to parties in high school until she had gotten into a car accident. After that Sophia became slightly quieter then she would usually be and quit partying. Instead Sophia focused more on her school work and eventually made it to college. Now in college Sophia aimed for medicine as well as a sub major in music studies both things that she has deep interest in. She also lives in a dorm with a friend of hers who she is not really that close to and argue a lot making her stay out of her dorm as much as possible. Secrets:During a high school party hosted by her girlfriend at the time, they were on their way home that night though none of them were drunk. There was a driver that was driving on the wrong side of the road, their car was hit head first causing the car to go down a ravine and into a deep river. She tried to save her girlfriend as best she could and it was dark and the car was completely submerged Sophia didn't want to die an she managed to free herself. Since that day she has always kept it hidden and has never told anyone about it, the only thing she has is a scar on her shoulder from the accident. Relationships: None as of right now, though open to anyone who wants it. Bag:cellphone, flashlight, marshmallows, chocolate, soda, sleeping bag, tent, first aid kit, several days worth of clothes.
56,033	1,535	1	1,635	6,753	Alice looked over her shoulder at Sophia when she spoke, thanking her for allowing her to tag along. She gave her a small smile before shrugging, "Letting people tag along was the whole plan... I don't have many... any friends around here... I thought this might be a nice way to meet some people." She crouched down to the ground and started gathering sticks. She decided it might be best to keep a few in her tent with her as well, just in case it rained. She'd grab enough for a few fires. She straightened and continued walking into the wood, "I really should thank you for coming... I really wouldn't have had the courage to come up here alone and I didn't want to hang around the school for Spring Break." Elias grabbed his and Tate's tent and laid them out while Tate took to removing Alice's tent from her bag. He picked up at little before grunting, not having expected it to be heavy, "Geez, did this girl pack her entire dormroom? This thing feels like it has a brick in it." Elias looked over his shoulder as his brother, "What is it too heavy for the jock?" He joked before turning his attention back to carefully threading the poles through the tent's pockets. They had decided they'd just be better off sharing there multi-person tent and having too much room over having to go out and get two new one person tents... Which was fine but it did make setting it up slower than it could have been. Tate shook his head, "No. I just didn't expect it to be that heavy. Explains why she was walking so slow. This bag is at least half her weight." Elias laughed, "Just set up her tent without the complaining, will ya?"	Name: Sophia Ryder Age: 19 Year: Freshman, first year Major: Medicine, sub majoring in music studies. Personality: Sophia was always one of the louder girls back in high school, she is usually seen to be one of the party girls when she is around her friends but when she is actually alone Sophia tends to be very quiet but it is almost never seen by any of her friends. But Sophia does have a good heart and will usually be the one who will always try and cheer those up who need it. She also will try and stand up for her friends for whenever they need it. Strengths: Sophia is always seen around her friends as a confident person who can be protective over them whenever they need someone to talk to. She also is very athletic and is always in good shape, and takes care of herself Sophia also knows how to tend to small wounds and some medicine. Sophia also loves to try and help those who are in need. Weaknesses: Sophia has a huge fear of the water and will try and avoid large bodies of water as much as she can due to a traumatic experience when she was in high school. And she tends to never talk about it, Sophia will usually be standing near the shore when she is near a lake or at the beach and will never even go into a pool she also has a slight fear of being in cars and usually tends to be very tense. Reason: Sophia wanted to go and do something else rather then go home to her family, and going to the beach always seemed very cheesy to her when she saw the poster made by Alice she decided to ask to join her. Bio: Sophia was born into a rather small family having a younger brother and a younger sister, she was very close to her siblings as well as her mother and father. Though she never really saw much of her father due to him traveling around constantly, but as Sophia grew up she started to become slightly rowdy, she started to go to parties in high school until she had gotten into a car accident. After that Sophia became slightly quieter then she would usually be and quit partying. Instead Sophia focused more on her school work and eventually made it to college. Now in college Sophia aimed for medicine as well as a sub major in music studies both things that she has deep interest in. She also lives in a dorm with a friend of hers who she is not really that close to and argue a lot making her stay out of her dorm as much as possible. Secrets:During a high school party hosted by her girlfriend at the time, they were on their way home that night though none of them were drunk. There was a driver that was driving on the wrong side of the road, their car was hit head first causing the car to go down a ravine and into a deep river. She tried to save her girlfriend as best she could and it was dark and the car was completely submerged Sophia didn't want to die an she managed to free herself. Since that day she has always kept it hidden and has never told anyone about it, the only thing she has is a scar on her shoulder from the accident. Relationships: None as of right now, though open to anyone who wants it. Bag:cellphone, flashlight, marshmallows, chocolate, soda, sleeping bag, tent, first aid kit, several days worth of clothes.
56,034	1,536	0	923	5,303	Original Concept:	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,035	1,536	1	923	5,303	GRAHAMCOMMANDER GRAHAM's OFFICE, NEW ANCHORAGE MORNING Tap. Tap. Tap. The sound of Commander Michael Graham’s fingers hitting the surface of his desk in his office echoed in the otherwise silent room. He had been thinking. Since being hired by New Anchorage to pick up where the previous commander left off there had been a pretty large adjustment period and there was still a lot of work to be done. Graham’s first day as the newly elected commander of New Anchorage’s NC facilities had been the most disheartening day in his entire career as a military commander; the base had been in shambles, disorganized, barely functioning, filled with barely any NC-able pilots, and with a sentiment of a casual existence that made him sick to his stomach. When he had heard that New Anchorage needed someone of his skillset and expertise he thought he was going into something that was at least semi-professional— but that had not been the case. Even after all of the weeks of restructuring, discharging, analyzing, and coordinating there was still a lot to be done. He still needed new pilots to make a functional assault force, he needed to test any civilians for NC potential, organized the current pilots in physical assessments beyond simulation, and needed to train the non-NC capable officers. He knew he could at least check one of these off the list as a group of tested NC pilots were told to be “on the way” by his boss, New Anchorage’s government. But even with that relief he had to wonder who would be stupid enough to come work for an independent faction with as shit reputation as New Anchorage’s— they would’ve had to been as desperate as he had been. Graham looked over to the glass of liquor next to him. There was a consideration before he shook his head. No, not now. Clarity is more important than anxiety relief. His eyes moved back to the hue of his computer screen. Dr. James Lofgren’s report of yesterday’s simulation was pretty clear. The NC analyst had set a simulation for two of the remaining pilots from Sophia’s administration, Anastasia “Stein” Kalfox and Elizabeth “Eli” Jackspar, in response to Graham’s request for recent reports of their abilities as well as the real meaning of the scenario— their psychological states. The report as it stood showed good combat stats, especially considering that James had a habit of “tweaking” their scenarios; however their reactions mentally and physically to the simulation were out of standard for both of them. Eli’s problems made some sense, but Stein’s? Anastasia Kalfox had been doing simulations like she had since she was ten if her dossier was accurate, so the idea that she considered a win scenario as a failure was concerning. He had talked to both of them following the simulation, and re-reading the report gave some context to their responses. But that still didn’t give him a quality of answer he wanted. What exactly could have brought such a thing? There was a pause in Graham’s thought before he moved his hand to his ear, flipped a switch on his codec. “Alvarez. When are the new run of pilots arriving today?” Matthew Alvarez had been the most helpful members of the operation that had stayed on when Graham had taken charge following Sophia’s sudden resignation and disappearance. The operations administrator had been his window to how things had worked and everything that had happened since Smith’s Rest became New Anchorage. It also helped that he had formerly been Sophia’s second-in-command despite being an adjutant with no “real” military experience. Before the name change of the settlement they had been a bookkeeper for their NC operations and a bit of a desk clerk. It was fortunate that he was one of the best adjutants Graham had worked with when it came to dossiers, base information, and base functionality— he was like a human computer. Graham doubted he would’ve gotten things straight as fast as he did without him. Graham looked at the clock on his computer— that was sixty minutes from the current time. “Very well, that’s all.” Leaning back in his chair, Graham took a light breath. New Anchorage was a mess, but at least it was far better than when he arrived. He wanted to give no false appearance of the operation being a casualty of complacency; there would be no rookie mistakes. With the new pilots arriving he needed to be prepared and while he wasn’t seeking to impress a bunch of edged-out mercenaries and over-eager idealistic kids he did want things to fall into cohesion. A military operation like this needed to be a well-oiled machine. And considering he was getting the cogs, he believed he had everything else to get them started. When they arrived he would treat it like any other operation with new recruits— familiarize them with the base, key military officers, and then see if they agree to his terms. Graham wasn’t exactly running a corporate military organization but he did need to instill mandatory routines to get things into shape. Graham also had a few meetings to look forward to with other hires but the pilots came first; it was why he prioritized them. And after all that was done he could see about getting in contact with his sources from the last fifteen plus years of his life to see what kind of contracts they could deal with. He didn’t need to get in-between the ruling corporations right now and as long as the contracts didn’t interfere with corporate policies or make New Anchorage quick enemies he could work with anybody. He pushed back up from his chair as he routed his codec to the base’s speakers as he had done when he had decided on announcements. “This is Commander Graham. I know many of you are still adjusting to the change in military administration, but the new pilots will be arriving within the hour and I need things to be in order. I want all personnel to look busy by that point. I will be reassigning the NC squadron sometime following the acquisition of these new pilots. Thank you.” That should do it.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,036	1,536	2	923	5,303	Collab Post between , , and ALEXANDERURTU-07 TRAM, SOMEWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA EARLY MORNING It was still a long way to New Anchorage for the occupants of the URTU-07 tram. As one of the few transit trams commissioned to run all the way from New Anchorage to Santuário, and as one of the few transit trams commissioned to run all the way from New Anchorage to Santuário, it was URTU-07’s job to ensure safe and fast travel throughout the Americas and due to several complications it was far more convenient to travel by tram— and less expensive than traveling by air. A sentiment that was shared with a cargo of over half-a-dozen NC’s and the pilots who were off to find their next job. A job that seemed to be one of the last “free” territories in the frozen tundra of what used to be known as Alaska. Alexander Sky was just one of those pilots. But he wasn’t going there for a simple paycheck… he was going there for other reasons. Alexander sat attentively in his seat inside the tram, not bothered at all by the cramped conditions; all arriving pilots had to share the same passenger car, and while they weren't barred from moving around the train, it was frowned upon. As far as he could tell, New Anchorage's recent crop of recruits, and his potential teammates, were sitting all on the same bank of seats that faced a set of too-large windows that let in too much glare; or they would had the windows been kept pristine, but many were clouded with splatter of dust and mud. Thankfully, Alexander had chosen someone who was a possible conversationalist. He thought he saw him trying to chat up some of the receptionists or secretaries— to sit next to. If only that Ponytailed Guy would come back from his restroom trip... which, he soon did, as evidenced by a watery whirling noise and running water which ended a few moments later. Coming out of the lavatory, a taller yet somewhat lanky younger man shambled out. His eyes were a little dulled as far as Alex could tell, but by noticing the way he moved it didn't appear he was unaware of his surroundings. This man in particular was Joshua Ray, one of the pilots Alexander had been itching to talk to. As Joshua took a seat next to him with his eyes glued to the crud-covered windows adjacent, Alex could feel like this was finally the chance to have that conversation he wanted. "Hello there, you up for a talk?" Alexander looked to his right. "Just want to know who I'd be working with later on." Seemingly mildly surprised, Joshua looked over and responded with a simple, "Uhh... okay?" He fidgeted in his seat a little to then focus his own attention towards his compatriot. "..'sup?" "Why New Anchorage? Considering what the rumors and news say, it's not really that profitable, and it's made more than a few enemies. I mean, I know why I want to go there, but well, not everyone shares the desire for...something better." Alexander sighed, cupping his chin with his right hand. Looking back at the skies, Joshua went over each and every faint star that shown even during the day. Unlike before the great destruction, light pollution was effectively nonexistant these days, letting people who cared, like Ray, look at the world above his own and see the sky clearly whenever he wanted. Joshua smiled a little as his eyes wandered from light to light as he replied to the question. "It was either that or fade into obscurity. I'm.. not that great of a fighter I guess, so ganging up with some other guys seemed like the best choice. New Anchorage was hiring, and, well, here I am." "Y'ever just look up? Y'know, really look up?" Joshua paused before continuing, "The skies are particularly luminous today. I don't meet many other people who like looking at the skies, for fun anyway." Alexander did as Joshua instructed, looking, and smiling, at the skies. "I'd feel happy gazing at the sky, but, well, I don't feel worthy, worthy to hold my head up high; look straight up. I've committed too many sins to be someone who deserves, well, hope, the hope that the stars represent." Only twenty-four years old and feeling a burden of guilt already. What could this young man have done? Joshua gave his thoughts on that matter. "I dunno about you but... to me the whole point of looking up there is to see that, y'know, ultimately... do we really matter, except to ourselves? There's so many points of light up there. Stars.. you know that's what they're called already." "Of course, in our short existences we think we're so unique, but how can we be so sure? For all we know some of those lights could be other.. ourselves. Clutches of 'Humanity' that stretch across the sky..." Joshua raised his hand on the glass a little, just above his own head. "It's.. so teasing to me. The cosmos are just above our heads, are they not? We can reach for them but we can never hold them. Yet I can't escape the feeling that whatever's out there can cusp us in its own hands... It's oddly reassuring." Alexander smiled. "I don't have much faith in anything except that which humanity can achieve, but I do believe that there's a cosmic force out there; it just doesn't interfere, so that we can make our own decisions, for good or for ill. I also believe this, that whoever is behind this universe isn't actively malicious, which gives us...hope, hope that we can make a world where our children- metaphorical and literal -can have a better world than their parents." "Y'know, makes me wonder. What if you're wrong and we were meant to die?" What felt like a few awkward minutes passed until Joshua simply laughed. "Yeah, right. I think that's enough navel gazing though, so what's your name? I'm Joshua Ray, pilot and plugee to the 'Apollo Heavy' Neural Combatant. You've probably never heard of it. You yourself?" "Alexander Sky. Pilot of the Phoenix. I used to work for Red-Star." And by that he meant that he was a slave to them; and not merely that, but if Ray had taken jobs for Red-Star before, he would've heard rumors of a mildly famous pilot with a penchant for tearing off the weapons of enemy NCs so that they could be disabled and following that, captured; and it was no secret that the resulting torture and enslavement from said capture was vicious, especially from Red-Star. In fact, it had earned Alexander the nicknames of 'Slaver-Slave', and 'Slaving-Slave' by enemy pilots. Joshua looked towards the sky once more. "Yeah, I heard about you." Ray sighed a bit as he went to mumble something. Speaking a bit louder, it seemed that knowing his 'friend' was an apparent slaver pushed a button, making his demeanor change for the worse. "Did... did you like it? Did it 'satisfy' you? Does it scratch an itch, or...?" "If I were proud of what I did, I wouldn't be on this train with you." Alexander said firmly, his tone bitter. "And if I were trying to run away from what I was, I would be asking you for booze right now. But instead I'm going to New Anchorage, because it's a chance at redemption, a chance to protect innocents, and a chance to make up for what I did. That's why I'm on this tram." The final notes in Alexander's tone were that of challenge. "You sure like being on the darker side of things. Wouldn't expect much different from a man such as yourself... if I'd even call you one." Ray rolled his eyes before going back to his skywatching. "I hope you're honest." "I'll take it as a chance, then." spoke Alexander, who then gazed at the skies sadly. "You know, I just want friends, friends whom I can be free with." "...Don't we all?" "True." Alexander said as he gazed up the sky. "Actually, one more thing..." his voice turned to a whisper. "There's a sixteen year old here, judging from the height; the first pilot I doomed to a life of slavery, and the first one who eventually died, he was the same age."Alexander's lips pursed. "I want to protect the boy we have here, as part of my making up for what I did." "You really love talking about your sins, don't you?", Ray said, "What you did is disgusting but if you really want to move on, then just do it already. If you're really so enamored with the thought of making a better you, then shut up about the past and look towards the future!" Unwittingly, Joshua raised his voice as if he was giving a speech, noting it too late and smiling sheepishly to the rest of the tram's occupants. "Uhh, yeah." He continued, "What I said still stands. I've heard enough, if you still want to talk, talk about your hopes?" Ray silently scoffed. "Tell me something I don't know." A smile from Alexander; was Ray giving him a chance to be friends? If so, he would take it with both hands. "I want a better world. It does not have to be today or tomorrow or even the foreseeable future, but I want a world of green fields, lush forests, and people living happily, without having to care about corporations, brigands, and mutated wildlife. I want people to focus on things other than dying and avoiding dying, and, furthermore, for each and every individual to matter." "As for myself, what I said stands too; I want friends. I want...a family. I want a home to call my own, and I want children who would have a better life than I myself lived." “Aren’t you quite the idealistic young man?” A quiet chuckle came from a man next to the two who had been, unbeknownst to them, leaning against the window listening to their conversation with one ear open. By all appearances the man was… different. Whilst he was older than both of the pilots, he was also obviously far more suited to a different passenger car due to his ragged yet higher end suit that had colors of ebony. However he wasn't in anothr car, he was riding in this one, the one devoted to the last stop of the line— New Anchorage. Just like them. "And... who are you? One of 'us' I presume, but..?" Ray immediately questioned the man, after looking him over a bit. By his voice he was a bit scared and surprised, leaning a bit back towards Alex, presumably instinctively for some sort of protection. His eyes quickly scanned over the man, attempting to single out any sorts of weapons, tools, or specific features to bring this man's identity to mind. As far as he could tell was that beyond the suit-bearing man’s attire it was clear that he had been weathered by some experience. He wasn’t as prim and proper as he sounded and his hair was matted back yet disheveled. Looking over his entire appearance there were no discernible weapons outside for a jacket holster for a handgun— a handgun Ray couldn’t make out due to the suit jacket the man wore. That aside, he did give off a presence of confidence— he wasn’t afraid of either of the younger more athletic men in front of him. Not one bit. A pleasant chuckle left the suit's lips, “Just another aspiring employee, my young friend.” As Ray began conversation with the man, Alex on the other hand tried to understand why a feeling of dread had just overtaken him. Perhaps it was his paranoia from his past following him, but he found himself also scanning the suited man to get some kind of clue about their identity. Surely his time in Red Star could’ve helped him out just this once? He had seen a lot of people in the last few years and known quite the bit of mannerisms, voices, and appearances. There had to be something. If this man did resemble someone he actually did know… they were in trouble. “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” The suited man paused, “I’m sorry, I must be intruding on your private conversation. I’m a bit of a nosy nelly— I believe that’s the old world phrase.” The more ruthless of us?! – Shit. Alexander hated this precedent right out of the door; the suited man knew who he was but he didn’t have a clue about him. Alex nodded as he followed the conversation but his nerves were flaring and he could tell Joshua was getting nervous about the conversation as well. He was spooked. ”Let him kill me. Let him kill me, but I hope I didn't bring down his wrath upon anyone innocent…” "Uhh... yeah okay." Joshua audibly mumbled towards this suited man. "So... uhh..., y'know... who are you?" The thinner pilot seemed to shiver a little, inching a bit closer still to Alex. "Are you intentionally being sort of freaky or...?" “Ah, right. We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Ingram. A pleasure.” He paused for a moment upon hearing Joshua's disposition towards him. The suited man, Ingram, laughed heartily after a moment of contemplated silence, showing the comment didn’t faze him. “I haven’t heard that one in a while! No, I am not intentionally trying to unnerve anyone. Though I am surprised I affect you like that considering what you pilots fight on a daily basis.” "You're... not, like, one of those guys who thinks us, uhh... us Pluggers are above humanity, are you?" Joshua was still obviously sort of spooked, yet now comfortable enough to question this man, at least a little. “What does that even mean? Above Humanity?” Ingram inquired as he moved his eyes back toward the outside enviroment. "What did you mean by saying that we can't feel fear just because of what we do as a job? We're still... just, y'know, still people..." Joshua looked to what this 'Ingram' was staring at, outside. Shaking his head, "Some people think we're a 'higher type of being' or something. Still just meat, ultimately. Why treat everyone else any worse..." Ingram nodded as he returned his glance to the duo. “Well, for me, it is hard to understand how people who go inside bipedal machines with artillery canons to fend off raiders, monsters, and the like on a daily basis can be scared of a little old man in a suit. No toxicity or harm meant.” "Just because we can control a walking battleship doesn't mean we're invincible out of it, 'Ingram'. I'm not delusioned and reckless like so many pilots. I guess I'm a bit cowardly, but we can still die outside of our mobile firebases." “Heh. I’m sorry if what I said hurt your feelings. You need not be so sensitive, my young friend.” Ingram replied, his calm smile still expressed on his face. "I guess so. So... what's your story, I guess?" “Just a down on their luck financial supervisor and businessman. New Anchorage is hiring more than NC pilots.” Ingram admitted as he reached down to a nearby makeshift table which held a flask. As he picked it up, he flicked the cap off and took a swig— the smell of alcohol apparent. “New opportunities and all that.” "Oh." Ray looked to the side as he listened to Ingram take a gulp. "...I guess we're not going to really know each other much after this then, huh?" “Well that depends if we get the job, right?” The older man replied with a chuckle. "Please, Don't keep us under suspense. I know who you resemble." The statement was one Alexander made not out of certainty, but something was definitely off about the man; from his suit down to his entire presence. It was unnerving, and there was at least some information that worked with his suspicions. It was a shot in the dark and a bit of a gamble, but if he was wrong he’d at least have figured something out that he didn’t know beforehand. “Right. I’ve got to… I’ll be right back.” It was with that comment that Joshua stood back up and went back towards the bathrooms; not out of an upset stomach but out of the anxiety that was coming from the conversation and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to sit next to the man when Alex began to shoot accusations at him. Why did it seem that this ride was going south? It had started so well, too. As Joshua left to go to the bathroom, Ingram turned his attention towards Alexander, or more specifically, his anxiety-riddled suspicions. His brows narrowed upon such words. He wasn’t sure where Alexander was going with his current train of thought but it most certainly wasn’t friendly and he was not too pleased with what he was hearing. Rather, unpleased actually. “Is that a fact?” "Nathaniel's last name was Ingram." Alexander spoke with grim finality. Nathaniel was Alexander's first opponent in open combat; he was sixteen to Alexander's eighteen, experienced but not a genius. He was also the first person Alexander captured and made to share his life of slavery. He was also dead as far as he had heard. “What an interesting coincidence.” He chuckled as he shook his head. “But I have no relations to a Nathaniel Ingram, as far as I know anyway. Ingram is my given name. It would be quite silly if my full name was Ingram Ingram. That'd be a riot at parties.” "But you know of him; nothing you said contradicts that." Alexander sighed out of anxious fever. "And if I'm wrong... well then I'm wrong. You do know me though, that's for sure. You have your own secrets, while I'm open about myself. You're dangerous in your own way, I'm openly a threat to those I'm not allied to. But...if you want to inflict harm on me, just say it, and you'll get the opportunity. Just...don't do anything bad to anyone else." “You seem to have a persecution complex, my friend. I am not out to get you.” His smile dropped. “Do I know you? Of course I do. Alexander Sky of Red-Star. Ace of Isaki Squadron. Known as Surēbumasutā among their ranks, which I believe roughly translates to ‘Slave Master’. Exceptional kill count yet also with a high capture rate. A bit of a legend for a grunt that Red-Star thought was expendable. Word is that they want their mech back. Yes, I know you well. It was part of my job to know every relevant NC pilot of our time. My secrets are mine, but no I am not some vengeance fueled sibling. No. Are we done playing presumptions?” "I don't know whether to feel relieved or intimidated." Alexander said. "All I know is, with my past all around me, it will be harder to look towards the future." “The answer is both, Alexander Sky. Now, if you will excuse me. I need to go visit the dining car. Cheers.”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,037	1,536	3	1,700	2,624	T A H L I A S T Y L E S Mess Hall - New Anchorage The rattle sounds of metal rolling over metal resonated throughout the quiet train, if it wasn't for the small group of people who had decided to start talking amongst themselves. It at first started with two males, but extended to a third male as he was drawn into their interesting topic. A topic of lives, history, and Red Star. On the opposite side of the carriage Tahlia sat, feet up on the bench and back against the wall with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting itself in the corner as she tried to acquire some desired shut eye. Her trip to this part of the world had been a long and gruelling one, leaving her both physically and mentally worn out. It didn't help that for the past few months she had been in regular battles on her way to this ice land, and now her NC was busted beyond comprehension. With no team to command, no mechanics to rely on, and no support to help give her a break; Tahlia had done things the hard way and performed her own maintenance when needed. She wasn't a mechanic and knew the difference between a nut and a screw, but isolating the issue that was causing the Sypder mode glitches and jamming within the Armageddon's Rain was just beyond what her simple mind was capable of understanding. Still... she was tired, and these people were noisy; talking about their little problems and trivial issues. She had gotten some shut-eye but not enough to improve her mood. Sleepily she pulled up her head and shifted the hood so she could see the others. A young boy, European looking; an older man, with an out of date pony tail; and an over-stylish man in a suit, more than likely NOT an NC user. Taking these details into account she reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a crumpled pack of Longbeach cigarettes, a brand that somehow survived the hundreds of years since their first appearance into the market place. It was little wonder though as Red Star's interactions had strengthen some of the Indonesian/Australian businesses allowing them to still operate even in this day and age. She tipped the soft pack up, letting a stick slip it's way out and followed up with bring it to her lips and lighting it with an old zippo. Tahlia sat there in silence, slowly puffing away and watching the warm glow of the end fill with a vibrant red every few moments. Alexander Sky, she thought to herself, knowing that she had read about him several years ago. The product of the Burrows' "slave breeding projects", the "Slaver-Slave" they called him, an idiotic name in Tahlia's books as any person was either a either a master or a slave. You either dished out the orders or obeyed them, a simple concept that worked well. Eventually the two men surrounding Alexander decided to leave with one heading off to the toilet for a second time, probably because he broke the seal in the cold environment, and the other looking to get something to eat. Using this opportunity Tahlia sat herself up and gave a heavy shrug, allowing her hoody to reposition itself into a more natural position. The dark reddish brown showing off it's harrowing colours with the design of the logo that was stitched into the back; the Star of a corporation, and the icon of disturbing nation. She made her move, walking over to the male that was now sitting alone, lifting her leg and plunging her foot onto his thigh. Before it could register to the poor male what was happening she grabbed him by the jaw and glared into his eyes, piercing into his very soul. "You call yourself Red Star?" she spoke to him, cigarette still in mouth and smoke drifting out of her lips. Carefully she turned his head from one side to the other, looking at the shape of a European skull, noting the differences in bone structure and skin tone. "You only became a Red Star because you were told you were to become a Red Star. That is the difference between you and me. Red Star doesn't flow in your veins." Tahlia let go of the male's jaw, plucking the cigarette out of her mouth and ashing it on the ground next to them. She let the cigarette hang there for a moment in her fingertips before ending off her short spiel. "Red Star will eventually come to reclaim what is rightfully theirs. Both your NC, and my own... however they will also take me back under their wing, but will they accept you, 'Slave Master'?" The cigarette gently lifted it's way back to Tahlia's mouth as she lifted her leg off the poor individual's thigh. She gave a sly smirk and a huff in the form of a light giggle before patting the boy twice on the cheek with her free hand, "Lighten up mate..." she said in a more positive, yet cynical tone, "Didn't you bloody come to New Ancorage to get away from that shit? So why worry about it?"	Name: Jan van Gent Appearance:Jan stands at 1.65 meters tall. He has fair skin, dark-blonde hair styled shortly and combed to the side. He has little standards concerning the clothes he wears, usually wearing whatever he managed to get on the cheap from a clothes vendor. The only criterium to him is that something needs to be functional. It doesn't need to be pretty or graceful, it just needs to work. Age: 27 Role: Flanking/ counter-CQC Personality :A rash and boorish man by nature. Jan is a spirited individual with a somewhat cruel streak to his actions. He doesn't particularly mind if other people are served by his actions, but is ultimately mostly in it for himself. Despite this though, he places great value on loyalty and mutual respect, even if it is for the slightly pragmatic reason that a long-time partner is the best partner. Backstory: A storied and grizzled independent. Jan van Gent was never part of the big five, instead operating with all sorts of factions all over the world as a mercenary contractor. He has probably fought with and against every major player on the current global stage, switching allegiances in quieter periods when hsi current employer's funds dried up, though always taking care not to antagonize anyone enough to draw the wrong sort of attention. A recent stint as a volkov subcontractor saw Jan assigned to New Anchorage. Political machinations above his control then saw volkvov retract their support, with jan's contract being terminated in the fallout. Jan simply shrugged and renegotiated a direct contract with New Anchorage's commander. Just another day on the job. Tactical Preference & Skills: Jan has great proficiency and experience at spotting and exploiting oppurtunities in a tactical situation. He has very good aim with all equipped weapons even at high speeds. He can concentrate on whatever his current target is without anything feasibly breaking his stride, though he is suspectible to a sort of tactical tunnel vision as well. Notes: Jan returns from the previous thread. Text Color: None due to player bias/laziness NC Codename: Goldenspur Appearance: The goldenspur is a grizzled mercenary machine, much like its pilot. Its frame is painted a muted black with gold details. While standing upright, its silhoutte is very visible due to its signature custom-built shoulder plates, somewhat resembling the skeletal wings of the winged hussar cavalry of old. These shoulder plates are folded over the NC's backside when in standby, but stretch to their full impressive length when shoulder weapons are deployed. Body & Type: A medium-class tank body. Original manufacturer is difficult to determine due to the amount of disparate custom parts mixed and matched to create the NC. Armor plating has been stripped and replaced with ligther variants on all sides save for the front to allow for greater manouverability. The NC has the unusual ability to fold downwards into a threaded tank-vehicle designed for speed and getaways. Equipment & Armaments: Goldenspur's main armament is a high-power plasma lance designed to punch through heavy armor and inflict catastrphic damage on internal systems. It requires a long pre-charge time and consumes most of the reactor's energy output when fired, also requiring a cooldown period afterwards. The goldenspur has two standard grade gimballed autoguns mounted on its shoulders. Energy consumption on them is low, and the caliber is sufficient to deal with most non-NC targets as well as posing a threat to NCs with lighter armor. In terms of defensive measures, the goldenspur has a standardized ECM array to deal with fire and forget missiles, a radar dampening coating on its armor, and a set of smoke launchers to disrupt visual contact. The smoke has a peculiar chemical composition that disperses lasers fired through it.
56,038	1,536	4	1,469	281	DEPOT -- LOADING AREA, NEW ANCHORAGE “This is Commander Graham. I know many of you are still adjusting to the change in military administration, but the new pilots will be arriving within the hour and I need things to be in order. I want all personnel to look busy by that point. I will be reassigning the NC squadron sometime following the acquisition of these new pilots. Thank you.” Graham's voice resounded from the speakers in the supply depot facility of the base, where Joe Verona was expecting a delivery. As he stooked in the cargo loading & unloading area, a few of the workers seemed to look bored as they rattled on with nothing much to do. Joe didn't need to be at the depot, but he wanted to ensure his delivery arrived safely and was then delivered to Swarm's cache in the base's NC hangar. Hopefully it would arrive before he had to leave for lunch. Fifteen minutes passed until the supplies were scheduled to arrive, which it did with a minor delay of about two minutes. Personell quickly got back to work as they began unloading the crates, boxes, and cargo containers. Joe looked across the platform, trying to spot the crates of his delivery. He spotted them at the end of the industrial tram, being unloaded from an additional wagon. “This one goes to the NC hangar! Unit 01!” The voice of the depot chief, Maria Lopez, echoed over the depots PA system. It seemed that everything was being properly coordinated as far as Joe could tell, because he didn't have the patience for missteps if he continued to be stuck in New Anchorage. There was a sigh of relief as Joe was relieved to know the cargo had safely arrived, and the depot chief knew where it was supposed to go. He didn't expect less, but he wanted to make sure. As he had no reason to stay in the depot, he then proceeded to head back to the hangar, to ask engineering staff to test whether or not the speakers and their control circuits were working to their specifications. Joe himself didn't have the time to check them all on his own, especially with lunch and new personnel arriving soon. Fortunately, the hangar facility was directly adjacent to the depot facility so it wasn’t much of a trek across the base. Once in the hangar, he headed back towards the NC station hub. Joe moved almost in a double-step before stopping at the base of where Swarm was stationed. A large “01” lining across the walls in faded black paint. The engineer currently working there was one he was familar with but hadn't decided to converse with before. Joe cleared his throat to get the girl's attention. "Excuse me, a delivery of speakers and circuitry will soon arrive in the Swarm's cache, could you please help me check if they function correctly, I sadly don't have the time to check them all on my own." The engineer turned with wrench in hand, her black hair tied up in a rough ponytail. “Hm? Oh! Hi! Yeah, that won’t be a problem at all. Is there anything else you need me to check for?” "Thank you, and there is nothing more I can think of right now, although you should probably know what the circuits are supposed to do before you check them." Joe paused, if the engineer already knew, he didn't have to explain their function in detail. “I'll do some diagnostics beforehand, of course. Kind of like, electrical engineering 101.” "Ok, thanks." “No problem! Let me know if you need anything else, okay?” "Will do."	Name: Joe Verona Nicknames: Joe-it-all Role: Artillery/Hacking Text-color: edb25b Joe is the son of the mechanic Arin Verona, working in Smith's rest, which allowed Joe to get to see a few NCs in his life while his father was working on them. He also picked up a bunch of scientific knowledge regarding engineering from him. An old but still post-cataclysm computer was a gift for his 13th birthday; it only had a commandline interface, although it was possible for it to display and generate images. Especially the lack of a graphical user interface paved the way for Joe to learn much about computing with his remainder of a child's ability to learn complex systems quickly, given sufficient interest. About two years ago the financial situation of the family got really bad, so Arin decided to sell Joe's computer. Unfortunatly without consulting him first. The very same day Joe noticed and snapped, punching his father in the head during the rage which lasted only a few seconds before he regained control. The force of the punch was great enough to break his hand and permanently damage his father's brain. As a result of the damage, Arin's long-term memory is unable to store new memories, although previous memories from before that day remain unaffected.After he was assigned to Smith's Rest's NC squad as punishment(although he usually doesn't mention it), the first thing he did to his NC was intentionally crash it's software to have an easier time reconfiguring it to his liking. As he did not warn or tell the engineers, they were pretty surprised and angry at that move of his. On his first mission, he defeated 'Rook' an enemy NC alongside Percy(a fellow pilot at the time), and also shut down a broken down nuclear reactor while exposing himself to dangerous levels of radiation. No effects of radiation could be found at a medical examination after the mission, but he was advised to avoid radiation as much as possible. During his second mission, he noticed how much Swarm's weaponry depended on visual at the time, very thick fog could easily throw off the targeting laser, so he purchased a railgun for the Swarm. After the siege of Smith's Rest, the settlement was renamed to New Anchorage, and after some time Joe was scheduled to go on a mission, which he tried to use to escape from his punishment, but before he could set his plan into motion, the old captain of the team deserted, completely throwing off the entire schedule. Although he hasn't heard from her since, he is still on good terms with the former captain, and if she keeps her promise she made when she left, he will occasionally recieve letters from her. Once Graham became the commander of the team, they were expected to do combat simulations. However, Joe failed to plug into the simulations, the cause has yet to be determined. Later the same day, while Joe was trying to go after clues why he couldn't connect to the simulation, he stumbled upon the concept of a long range acoustic device, called 'sound-cannon' by some. He proceeded to purchase 200 high-powered speakers and 2 control circuit boards for them, hoping he could maybe recreate one, and if he could, possibly install it on his NC.Age: 26 Personality: Joe is usually the analytical type, using knowledge to his advantage. It is very hard to anger him, and if he is in a rage it only lasts for seconds, but during those seconds he is capable of anything, except staying calm and analytical. height: 1.79m normal weight, although closer to underwheight than to overwheight pale as a vampire Tactical preference/skills:Joe isn't really cut out for combat, mostly because his tendency to overanalize his situation lowers his reaction-time significantly; in some situations 2 seconds pass before he can react. As such he usually prefers to be in safe locations during a battle, being rather involved in communications, tactics or cyber-warfare(taking remote control of an enemy unit and the like). He is not a great tactitian despite his analytical nature though Neural Plug Synchronization: 77% Other things of note: NERD!!! Code-Name: Swarm A general humanoid, although armored and handless. Where the hand would normally be is instead a currently unoccupied weapon or utility slot Type/Quality: It acts as a ranged unit, taking out both grounded and airborn targets, preferably out of their range. Middling-low To ease targeting and target-prioritizing, the head is equipped if a more powerful radar, which can manually be focussed in any direction to increase its range in that direction a bit. The Swarm is equipped with 2 guidance systems: A cruise missile controller for precise strikes with single missles An IR-laser to aim at whatever a volley of heat-seekers shall target. The laser itself has not enough power to do any damage on its own The 22 missile launcher have a reload time of 40 seconds and it takes about 4 seconds to fire an entire volley of missiles. 1 Sys: VEKW-01.65 railgun (purchased) General Description: The Swarm Is a heavier, hunchbacked unit with an extreme focus on long range combat and defensive armaments. It features numerous long-range high mobility missile launchers, and it would have a high-powered plasma cannon in the waist, but that mount is currently unoccupied. As well, the Swarm has an interesting backpack design suited for aerodynamics and in-atmosphere flight speed, effectively meaning that while it's slow as mollasses on the ground, its actually sort of fast in the air. However, if the backpack was hit by a heavier weapon, due to speedy and shoddy construction, it does have a chance to damage the rest of the unit. Thus, the pilot should always point towards the enemy.
56,039	1,536	5	1,318	425	PERCY MOOREBARRACKS, NEW ANCHORAGE FACILITY Percy Moore sighed as he got the last of the cardboard moving boxes into his barracks. The hardest part of moving was finally out of the way; getting the stuff in the new place. Now he had to figure out where he wanted to put everything. "Dad?" "Hm?" Percy gave his daughter a fleeting glance as he started to open the boxes of Ana's clothes to fold and put them up in the closet.. or maybe in the drawers. Honestly, that'd make more sense. She can actually reach the drawers. "Why d'you want me to stay on base again? I thought you said it was dangerous?" Percy stopped for just a moment - he did say that, didn't he? He couldn't keep himself from stumbling over his words as he spoke, "Well, uh, it's.. It is still dangerous." "Then why put me in such a dangerous place?" The emphasis Ana put on "dangerous" showed that she honestly doubted the danger. She knew her father well, and he did have a tendency to blow things out of proportion. "There are better rules that are more strictly followed now. So you're safer now than you were. Plus, uh.. You know. I can keep a better eye on you if you just stay here. It's better than trying to go back and forth all the time." "What kinda rules are there?" Percy thought about it for the next few moments as he continued to fold and put things away before realizing that he honestly wasn't all too sure. He remembered going to the meetings with the others, but he could not for the life of him remember what the rules might've been. Maybe because he was infatuated with his metallic prosthetic in that moment, but.. still. He could definitely hear what was being said. It must not have sunk in. He'd have to get a refresher about the base regulations from Elizabeth or maybe Stein when he had the time. He was hesitant about going to Stein though, considering the woman's lecture still echoed in his mind a bit. He'd probably go to Eli, honestly. "Better ones," Percy stated, hoping that answer would suffice for now. "Liiike?" Ana was just being difficult now, and her little smile showed that she was, in fact, just being difficult. "Ana," Percy's voice showed some feign exasperation. They shared a quick knowing grin with each other before Percy continued with his normal voice. "I don't know. I wasn't really paying much attention when it was getting talked about," Percy quickly glanced at the slightly ajar door as if he expected Graham to be standing there, judging him. "all I know is that it's alright for you to be here as long as you don't get into much trouble." "Trouble like getting myself hurt, or trouble like.. bad trouble?" "Either would be bad, but you're too little to cause any kind of bad trouble." Ana nodded in understanding, then moved on to her next question, "So since I'm gonna be staying here, can I see Vera more often? I really like Vera." Percy didn't answer right away. "I dunno. I.. I might need to talk to Elizabeth about it." "Well, assuming she says yes, are you gonna actually let me?" Percy honestly didn't think the idea was a bad one, but at the same time, two kids could very easily get into more trouble than one ever could, even if Vera was five years older than Ana. Even then, Vera seemed much less clumsy and likely to get into trouble than Ana did. Plus she was older, and she could very easily keep Ana away from anything that could possibly hurt her. The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea. "Yeah. I'll let you see her," He finally answered. "Are you suurrree you're gonna let me?" "I'm pretty sure. I mean, unless you give me a reason not to let you. If I just let you do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, I wouldn't really be a father, would I? I'd just be the guy taking care of you." "But you kinda are the guy taking care of me." Percy wasn't sure if he should feel hurt or just laugh it off in that moment. Her tone of voice suggested she meant it innocently; or even as a joke. But it still stung.. The shit kids say, right? Percy broke the tense moment of silence, "I'm your father. I'm not just some baby sitter, Ana." "I know," Ana's voice showed confusion with the statement Percy had made, "I was just saying.. cause.. you're a guy.. you take care of me. So you're the guy that takes care of me. Sorry." Ana's apology was hastily tacked on to the end as she looked down at the grayed sheet she was sitting on. "Thought I was being clever." "No, no, don't be sorry. I was just overthinking it.. I'm sorry." "Well I'm sorry you're sorry." Percy grinned slightly, then said, "We're going to stop that right there, cause that could keep going for hours." He knew that it could very well go on for hours because it actually had once. He couldn't remember why they kept apologizing to each other, but it definitely happened. He also remembers them both in a giggling fit afterwards cause it took them two hours to finally stop. Ana giggled at that.	Percy J. Moore Age: 32 Role: > Support Appearance: He's a pretty average looking guy. He's about 5 ft 8in, 167 lbs. He has red hair and freckles all over his body, suggesting he's at least a little Irish. At least a little. Even though everything else about him seems warm and inviting, his eyes are a cool gray blue. Some people have told him he looks a little girly, but his stubble shows otherwise. He also has a little bit of a nose on him. Normally, he'd wear a blue jean jacket with a faux fur collar with a dark sandy brown turtleneck underneath, light jeans with dark long-johns underneath, and some worn but sturdy leather-y hiking boots (with socks, of course). He also has a set of more intimidating black steel toed boots, but he doesn't wear those very often. He also has two silver rings on his left hand. One is his wedding ring, the other is his wife's. The glasses shown in the picture are merely for reading. (I just couldn't keep the glasses-wearing Percy to myself tho like look at him) Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) He's got one or two screws a little bit loose.. He's paranoid, temperamental, overprotective and has a very hard time relaxing. Under all that he's really just scared. He's scared for his daughter and himself. He doesn't want his girl to end up like her mother - dead - or him - an emotional mess that's barely got his shit together. If you can get through the barrier to the guy underneath it, you've got yourself a friend that's gonna have your back 99% of the time. Backstory: He was living an average life that was as comfortable as it can be in a wasteland with his mother and father in Smith's Rest.. maybe even a little bit sheltered. After moving out of the house so he can have some time to really figure out who he was as a person, his parents died shortly after because of a disease that was spreading across the settlement. A few years after that, and after a few romps with some other people, he met a lovely woman that was just a year older than him - Laura. Laura was, in his eyes, very pretty, very intelligent, and very much the yin to his yang. They just clicked. They had a child out of wedlock, but they married after their little girl, Ana, was born. A few months later, as they were finally settled into parenthood and Percy thought that maybe everything's alright, Laura was killed in an accident in her workplace. Percy had to tackle parenthood alone. He did awfully at first - Laura was a much better parent than he was at that point in time - but he gradually got better. Ana grew up to be a bright eyed little girl. He took the job because he was in need of the huge sum of money promised. He thought he could just get in, get out, be over with it.. It'd be easy! He was so, so wrong - he figured that one out after the surgery to get his plug.. That's what he gets for not reading the fine print. After dealing with a surprise attack on Smith's Rest, he's gotten meaner and a little less forgiving. Then, after the events of the Navy attack, his NC was damaged to the point it locked up, was able to be toppled, and the right side of his body was mangled pretty badly - so badly in fact, on top of breaking his leg, he lost his hand. His face was luckily kept in tact. He's back into what Sophia called the unfair game with much hesitance.. he prays he doesn't lose any more body parts. Tactical Preference & Skills: > He'd rather stay away from bloodshed if he can, but if he can't, sticking close to the team would be his second choice. He has a very strong desire to protect those around him, even if they're in huge mechas, making him an adequate support. > If he was to do a solo mission and the only person he has to worry about is himself (and he's confident that he'll be fine), he would find no issues with getting his metal hands dirty. Or oily, I guess. Notes: > He hates getting drunk - not because of what it does to him, but because his hangovers are awful > He has pistol that's been passed down for generations upon generations. It's technically obsolete, but he's very good at using it. > He also has a pocket knife that was a sort of "parting gift" from Sophia (the former commander). > He has a prosthetic hand now. He both hates it and kind of totally loves it. > His sync rate is around 75-90%, depending on his mental state. Text Color: LightSteelBlue, or b0c4de Codename: Papa Mike Appearance:: Looks clunkier and heavier than it really is. Basic metallic black paint with white accents. Has a couple dings here and there, but it's not affecting anything major. Older model modified to meet standards of the present, really. Body & Type: > Bipedal > Originally designed to be semi-proficient at most tasks. Has been modified to be faster and more powerful than the original. Equipment: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > Slightly damaged stock neural computer - a bug in the computer is that it calls Percy "Micheal" instead of "Percy." Percy has tried to fix it but is afraid he'll break something else. He's not a coder for fuck's sake. > Above-average thrusters specifically designed for short bursts of speed > Slightly above average generator Armaments: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > VEKW-01.65 (New-Anchorage Custom - 35 rounds, mid-to-long-range) > PPB-2.71 (New-Anchorage Custom - melee (laser sword), standard white in color) Small Standard Fairbanks-Model missile launcher on the back (3 missile burst, long-range) random tidbits (will be added to as I think of things) > Before the NC was Percy's, it belonged to a guy named Michael who was actually an assault/support for his squad.. hence the computer calling him "Michael" :P Ana L. Moore The redhead is Ana. The ushanka girl is Vera Age: 8 Appearance: She's just past the average height of girls her age, being 4ft 2in, but she's underweight at 50 lbs. She shares many of her father's physical traits, just softened (especially her nose). She also has his red hair and freckles - her freckles are more in her face, however. Her eyes are a very lovely shade of green. She's usually wearing a pink and white striped sweater that's beaten up from being worn so often, some dark pants that are equally as beat up, and some shoes that are so worn it's probably time for new ones. She has what she would call "a dumb monkey hat with stupid looking gloves that match" that she really would prefer not to wear (she's eight, not FIVE), but her father makes her wear it sometimes when it's colder than usual. Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) Despite all that's happened, she's still very optimistic and caring. She's got a will made of titanium and she's braver than she realizes she is - even braver than her father, who she feels is the bravest person in the whole world. She's a little bit like her father in the sense that she also has a touch of a temper as well... maybe not a touch. Backstory: She was born to Laura and Percy. She never knew her mother, because she died when she was little. When the surprise attack in Smith's Rest happened, she was almost taken away for who knows what purpose. Almost. She was saved, but her perceptions of the world changed pretty drastically. She didn't know just how scary the world was till then. She's slowly learning to deal with the nightmares, but she probably won't like confined spaces very much. Notes: > She stole a box of crayons from the school once. She still has that box of crayons. > She absolutely loves dogs. Puppies are awesome. > She is very much capable of taking care of herself.. for the most part. > She's a bit clumsy - she has a very tiny, almost unnoticeable scar on her nose, between her eyes. she walked into a door frame when she was little. > Birthday is August 7th. Text Color: Violet or ee82ee
56,040	1,536	6	1,365	7,516	Alexander yelped as Tahlia stomped on his hip, before giving a mini-speech that, quite frankly, was mildly ignorant of how Burrows worked; which fit, as from what dossiers he read, Tahlia Styles was a surface-dweller. Once the woman had stopped her spiel, and furthermore tried to get the 24-year old to 'lighten up', the pilot gave his reply, saying, with misleading mildness: "Miss Styles, tell me, what do you really know of the 'Burrows'? Do you really think that I'd let them take me back there, to The Room?" If Tahlia wasn't blind and deaf, she would have heard rumors of just how the underground inhabitants of the Burrows were treated, and how dissidents were kept in line through brainwashing, brainwashing that was also rumored to make use of Neural Net-derived technology. "But enough, I don't want to run a pity party," Alex continued. "Ms. Styles, I do not like your show of remaining loyalty to Red-Star, nor do I like how, despite your words, you're still here, on this tram, and you still have the Old Australian Flag prominently displayed. So, either you truly have remnant loyalties to Red-Star, which is dangerous for our new employer, or you're trying to get in my head, which is worse." The 24-year old pursed his lips. "So, tell me what you want." Alexander further observed Tahlia, looking for any tells in her behavior. She was clearly confident, assertive, and also physically tired. He would then continue: "And if what you want is some sleep and a lighter mood, you're welcome to rest; I'll stand guard."	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,041	1,536	7	403	341	Drip. Drip. Drip. Yeshua licked the rim of the glass, satisfied with his hydration. Putting down the glass on a cramped wooden table that had the smudges of filth creeping around it, he took care not to touch anything. The arch of his back began bugging him as his cramped back seemed to contour as a river meanders. Travel to travel, bunk to bunk, his sense of comfort had never been quenched. Shifting like an agitated child, he sat upon the alligator's jaw, staring outside the window with such intent. Only 2 metres long and metre tall, lying sideways was his only option. His feet could poke at the glass, even though his knees were bent. He tried avoiding the sweat stains, but it was just another thought that pressed down on his shoulders. Nails untrimmed, dirt hiding beneath them, he tried to stir towards something positive. He tried to reach his arm outside his cubicle into the corridor. His closed eyes liit up in bliss. Stretching, he pulled back his hand only to collide with a walking man. The response of a most likely drunk individual was to shove it, twisting his elbow and feeling the cold metal handle of someone else's luggage collide with his unseen hand. Profusely embarrassed, he retracted his arm and wrung his wrist around his other hand. Sitting on his hands, the heat ran through his body. The nearest coatrack was a few steps down the corridor in another wardrobe, but everyone was moving about and this was the only peace he would get for a while. The window had failed incredibly to keep him relaxed. As the routine see-sawing of the tram jogged him like a pram down a hill, the view of empty, irradiated wasteland was displeasing. All of the nature had been full of order, a hierarchy of culture and power, destroying by egotism and violence. A tragedy that once again humans climbed out the pit of, leaving behind the Old World. Young and elderly alike, people flocked to continue the same goals they panted for centuries prior, each making the same mistake as before. But this was the greatest mistake of human kind; the land that he saw was example of that. And even now, when education could leave behind the ignorance of the Old World, the cancer persists in a new form, a caricature of its old self. Even if there was the occasional wildlife out there, it was obscured by the mist that had descended over the dense viewing glass. Nature had been partitioned from man. Even as many scientists and thinkers, like himself and others, tried to walk down the tightrope of enlightenment, they feel victim to primal instincts. The idea was painted right in front of him. Here, with every railing, curtain, comes through the most disgusting pointless human urges of sleep, that even he obeyed. And yet, funnily enough, he believed he could do something about it. No one trained him to be like this, but this is the very nature of humanity. The universe. Everything. Doomed to loop, doomed to consume, destroy and blame, and to avoid the inevitable only to make everything worse. He lifted his hand, ignoring the tingling hot feeling running down his leg. Whistling air. Frozen time. Crash. He grabbed his hair irritably. "I need a haircut."	Name: Yeshua Horowitz Appearance: Standing at 5'10 Yeshua isn't measly in stature. His thin and lanky frame is often covered by two layers of clothes. You'd be hard pressed to find him not wearing a coat or jacket, even if it was rather warm. Only military regulation makes him seem to fit in. Age: 16 Role: Midline Personality: Yeshua is far from outgoing in his nature. He is not quiet and quite parsimonious with his beliefs, almost to the point beyond reason. He values and observes a much bigger picture than some people realise, often letting him feel detached or pity those who he spends time with. He is quick to judge and often feels no guilt, but takes a keen responsibility for other people's problems, that can lead him to be viewed as either extremely polite or extremely irresponsible. The boy has many opinions which he isn't afraid of sharing, and if Yeshua feels he has been treated unjustly, will not stand for it. He is poisonously sarcastic, too. Yeshua is a strange boy. His glare has a certain eager bloodthirstiness about it, a burning ambition mixed with the frightening frigidness of a killer. He is a master of the mind, able to pick up nuances and small movements as fast as a camera. His mind is stock-full with knowledge, and while seeking wisdom, he has little to offer. Darwinian morality isn't exactly his slice of cake, he does stem much of his philosophy from nature, which interests him almost as much as the nuances of people. His timid obsession with the obscure and childlike flinching from contact, coupled with his lack of empathy to the needy, hides a frail, frightened boy who never, no matter what he could do, live up to his own expectations. Backstory: Yeshua (born Joshua) was the child of Otto Horowitz, a mildly famous biologist working in the most prestigious parts of the most rich sections of Paragorn-controlled Germany. His mother was never mentioned to him and without someone to care for him in the home, he often spent his time alone or on the wild webs of the internet. The nanny that cared for him had left to go see a parent who had been critically injured. Alone in the house, Joshua quickly called his father, telling them that about the nanny's absence, leading to her to be replaced by an automated robot, the first of its kind. In his father's absence, the boy grew up without influences and soon grew suspicious of him. At the age of 11, he felt the repercussions of Paragon's nearby enemies when his father kept coming home from work less frequently and even more tired. He was pushed to the edge, and Joshua felt it. Taken away from his father, the boy lived in the Alps with his grandmother. Away from society, the boy could read and write, and so he did for as long as he could. Creating beautiful poems, he would often read them to his grandmother, for her sight was failing and, by the time his magnum opus came about, his grandmother could barely appreciate it. He felt squandered. His grandmother was fond of him but held back by her principles. When he wanted to leave her and find his father, no help was given. Joshua knew he could not leave in such an isolated area and did not want to live his entire life as a farmer, as his grandmother was. He grew skeptical. He could see the convoys of military transports passing through the mountains, knowing times grew more desperate every hour. His grandmother, parent to not his father, but his mother, gave him the King James Bible and with it, in his adolescence, he studied with as much determination his father had. The wild swathes of books that had been laid out for him was not simply a mere collection by his elder; it was a gift from his father. How else could he teach Joshua the wonders of the universe? In the middle of the night he snuck out, only 14. The cold of the mountainside was nothing to him, as he was determined to find his father and ask him all the questions had developed in his mind. Making his way to the small village of Ungarbt, Joshua had the dread. The same dread as being left alone by his caretaker; this time he had no one to save him. Trying to solve these problems by himself was too difficult for him, so he went to the local police station. This is when the news struck him; an ambulance was driving into the nearby hospital as he entered. His grandmother had died of a heart attack after realising he was gone. Without any relatives and still no idea where his father was, he was sent to a special training facility in the western reaches of Paragon, near modern-day Lithuania, and Joshua’s quick eagerness lead him to become one of the elite few to test the NC without question of what Paragon actually wanted from him. While he was always incredibly talented at picking up a task and turning it into an art, entering an NC training school is anything but an easy task. While no one had the courtesy to declose this information with him, it had become obvious that it was his heritage of scientists and technicians that had allowed him to partake in extensive and exhausting training. He was bottom of the class and learnt to spite those mocking him. His foster family, a branch of modern Judaism (Torahts), were originally irritating to him until he It was amazing to see things from a different point of view in a different place. His questions became more fruitful but in turn his family became to spite him, with his constant criticism that undermined their faith. When his town was attacked by raiders, his family had little time to relax. Stashed heirlooms and family heritage was left behind, was attacked, Joshua lost contact with his family in the chaos, panicking and afraid. The area had become a hot spot of the exiled natives of the Middle East, who the Paragon had 'kindly' taken in after the Magen takeover. MAgen, being a mostly Muslim controlled Company, had no room for Torahts, and that is what led Joshua's adoptive family to settle above the Black Sea. Scalded for crossing the line, Joshua had run to the coast. Before he had any time to reflect, smoke began rising from the town. The hellish sounds and vibrations of the NCs were as clear as ever. This was not the first time he had seen them, for they would often be paraded through the streets of Germany as a sign of strength (and fear, Joshua realised). When he arrived in the town, the black soot of destruction had choked everything. Hiding in a library, the raiders drew closer. It was only when a Paragon NC came and saved him from the onslaught did he survive, his family dead or lost. Against the popular opinion, Joshua's scores only skyrocketed afterwards. Living on his own a few miles away from his old town, the Raiders never touched the NC training school. His prestigious skill with the NC, particularly with the discarded Paragon NC called the Anzu, became extremely apparent. Able to operate independently, Joshua changed his name and was sent to New Anchorage over mysterious circumstances, but most deduce it to his outstanding NC skills. Maybe this time he could find the answers he sought; what it meant to be human, alive and breathing. And whether or not he could ever deserve that answer. The rest is for the biography, Joshua-turned-Yeshua chuckles. Tactical Preference & Skills: Midline: Yeshua’s NC is not strong enough to stay on the frontline, nor is it powerful enough to stay at the back of the formation. Instead, he remains behind the more powerful NCs whilst dishing out devastating damage in close and mid range. Knowledge: Yeshua has memorised hundreds of different parable, texts and stories. His mind is brimming full of information, and he can usually come up with a scientific and practical solution in most situations. Ambitious (or stubborn): One would be hard pressed to convince Yeshua against what he wants; this undeniable, insatiable wanting that drives him makes him militarily vital to get on your side. Notes: Text Color Anzu Appearance White coat fading, the Anzu is ethereal, royal, but hasn’t been maintained properly for months. In war, paint won’t protect you. Body & Type The Anzu is a modified mid line NC, which had many different shady funders, mostly strange cultists and worshippers. Massive, incredibly powerful plates act as shields on its forerarms, shoulders, chest and knees, while leaving the rest of the rather soft body exposed. Equipment & Armaments Head - Standard Array Body - Standard Thrusters Right Arm - GXT-95F ‘Imdugud’ Flamethrower, disruptive but unreliable Left Arm - GBT-96F 'Apsi' Hydrant System, running through the entire NC and can have high-pressure water ejected from the left arm in case of lubrication or aid. Right Leg - Ziz Thrusters, specialised in short bursts of descent control. Left Leg - Ziz Thrusters, specialised in short bursts of descent control. The Anzu carries the Ninurta’s Cannon, a heavily experimental and extremely unreliable weapon that takes 4 seconds to charge, and when it does, releases an extremely hot and powerful maelstrom of energy. The cooldown timer has never been fully measured, for it will always have the chance to overheat and backfire; instead, it is up to the pilot when it should be used afterwards, but the further between blasts suggests a lower chanccenterastrophic failure.
56,042	1,536	8	1,524	552	Barracks, New Anchorage Facility --Eli and Vera-- --- When Vera returned to the room, she found the bed pushed flush against the wall, the desk likewise, and the drawer crammed into the corner, effectively turning it into a grand open space. The sight was enough of a surprise to halt her at the door, which was lucky, because had she stepped any further inside she might have taken an awful blow to the head by the wooden practice sword Eli was swinging around. Was in that, when she saw Vera –and moreover, the door open behind her-- she stopped altogether. As if nothing was the matter, the snowy girl greeted her. “Hey, how was your walk?” “What did you do to the room?” Vera asked, door shutting behind her. She made her way to the bed and climbed up. “Needed room to practice.” “Aren’t there like…practice…rooms?” “Needed room to practice alone.” Honestly Vera didn’t mind the changes much, she had a backrest to sit against now at the least. She took up Eli’s PDA but only absently toyed around on it as the older girl began moving again. It was nice to watch, Eli had been doing the same forms for years and years, and by now, even after a few weeks of neglect, it was second nature. Rather than a rigid set of moves, it appeared more like dancing, a fluid collection of steps, turns, leaps, swipes, stabs, all seamlessly woven together. Quick, then slow, wide-stanced and narrow, up on one leg, and low to the ground. Vera wondered if she could dance in an NC, too. “So new people showin’ up soon. Wanna go get somethin’ to eat, maybe meet'em?” she asked, and rolled her eyes at the flat look Eli offered in response. “How about just the eating then? I’m hungry, you’re hungry.” Another flat look, shaken though into embarrassment by a subtle growling from her stomach. “Hah, you’re hungry, checkmate let’s go," Vera chimed, hopping off the bed before Eli could begin to protest. “You’re gonna make friends~ You’re gonna make friends~” “We’ll be working together, I don’t need to meet them.” Vera whirled around on her heel and snatched Eli by the wrist, tossing the practice sword onto the bed. “Nuh, nope, not this time. Last time we got people you didn’t even talk to them. Jan seemed nice, and Stein was awesome and you never talked to her. Plus there’s Percy, and that guy with the fun name that looks like a zombie. You get to work with zombies and giant robots how are you not like exploding with happiness?” For being no higher than Eli’s middle, Vera could pull weight when it mattered. Despite a faint resistance, she eventually succeeded in yanking Eli out of the room, at which point the girl straightened up and pulled her hand back to her side. “Okay, okay, we’ll go eat,” Eli said, hushed. She snagged her coat from a hook near the door, wrapped her scarf about her face, and pulled the hood up over her head. “But then I’m coming right back, I have to practice.” “Yeah yeah practice got it, les’go,” Vera said, and with Eli following behind at a brisk gait, started off for the cafeteria, eager to see the new people, whoever they were. Given all the others thus far had been awesome, she wasn’t worried too much.	Elizabeth Jackspar Age 21 Role Melee Skirmisher Appearance A life dedicated to training has left Eli with a lean, athletic form. An albino, her skin is chalk-white, her long hair a similar color, and her eyes holding a glassy-blue hue. She has a hard gaze and straight posture, like a soldier constantly at attention. Despite this, she’s prone to wearing civilian clothes when things are quiet. Scarves strike her fancy, and she’ll often wear them high on her neck over her mouth, but she’s also prone to gloves and arm warmers. Personality Cold and dismissive to anyone that isn’t her superior, compliant and dutiful to all others with an underlying layer of competitiveness beneath everything. A quick, calculating mind and fast reflexes make Eli a good soldier, but little else unfortunately. In her early teenage years, Eli began suffering from severe and sudden panic attacks, often leaving her an unresponsive wreck. Not knowing how such incidents would affect her daughter's future, her mother went to great lengths to keep the affliction a secret from future potential employers. After a handful of years the attacks decreased in both frequency and intensity without professional assistance, which made concealing them much easier. Tactical Preference/Skills Eli excels in melee combat, preferring swords to firearms and speed to durability. While her specialty is quick execution, she can handle prolonged confrontations, especially against a single opponent. Background ”Eli” Eli was eight years old when she learned her name was short for “Elizabeth”. Her mother, the librarian recluse Celina Jackspar, had used it once, the first time she’d cried during her training. ”Get up, Elizabeth. Now. And never cry in front of me again.” And she never did. The Jackspars might have been lepers for how little they interacted with the world. Confined to a modestly sized library nestled in the corner of what was then “Smith’s Rest”, few ever visited, and fewer were actually aware the spindly, aged woman had a child. With little to their name aside from cases and piles of books, it would not have been unreasonable to assume the family would contribute nothing great to the world. Celina would not allow such an outcome. The training began early, and never slackened. Eli learned from a young age what she was, and would be. She did not attend school, she did not socialize with peers, she rarely left the library at all. Her life was dedication, she had to let go of the urges to want, and focus entirely on the future. ”Up.” And she got up. The Jackspars could afford no firearms, and so forewent practicing them. Instead it was decided that Eli would master the art of melee combat in their absence. Lyosha Voloshyna, a carpenter and one of the family’s only “friends”, happily supplied them with wooden models of various swords, ranging from the typical and familiar, to the foreign and unique. Eli was made to train with them day in and day out. They would not be weapons held, they would be extensions of her own body, or she would fall short. Countless other prospective pilots had the advantage of proper training, they could afford to be merely “adequate” so long as they rounded out a checklist and passed the neural exam. ”I don’t want you on-par, I want you better. Keep going.” And she would. Hour after hour Eli practiced, submitting herself to the forms and tests of balance. By the time she was in her middle teens, picking up a sword felt like raising her hand, swinging felt like punching. Her threshold for pain was pushed further each day, and every time she kept her mouth shut, kept her face calm, she would catch the ghost of a smirk flicker over her mother’s face. Moving had become a dance, and she was the prima. When she was fifteen, a practice sword broke in her hand, splintering midway down the blade. It was old, nothing unexpected, and the shattering caused her no physical harm. All the same Eli froze, wide eyes fixated on the broken blade, and her arm, then the girl collapsed in a fit of agony. Celina watched, shocked. ”Get up.” But she didn’t. ”Elizabeth, get. Up.” But she couldn’t. It took all of her strength not to cry. It was her first major incident, and the only one Celina ever saw. It took a few years to realize they weren’t going to stop, and seeking professional psychiatric help would murder Eli’s chances at becoming a pilot, so Celina resolved to handle the situation in her own way. Eli knew Eli. Celina knew Elizabeth. ”Stop shaking.” And she would. The final years leading up to application were smooth by Celina’s standards. Her daughter was sharp, fast, resilient, and above all, obedient. She would protect Smith’s Rest, she would protect its people, and she would do so under the instruction of whosoever commanded the forces. Second to her, of course. ”Don’t disappoint me.” And she wouldn’t. -Helped defeat Knight and Rook alongside Percy Moore, Madison Cole, John Strange, and Joe Verona -Took on her younger sister, Vera, as an “assistant” -Bonded with the previous commander, Sophia -Suffered a gruesome defeat at the first assault on Smith’s Rest -Shaken by Sophia’s desertion Text Color: color=6ecff6 Example. Blur :Body-Plan: Blur is a humanoid, bipedal NC, designed to move and strike quickly. Its armor is lacking, but a myriad of thrusters allow not only for fast evasive maneuvers, but also for gap-closing on enemies. :Type/Quality: Blur is designed to be an up-close-and-personal NC, meant to close in on key targets before engaging in a melee assault. In this, Blur excels, and should the enemy be unequipped for close-range combat, they may have trouble. However range is her crux, and while Blur is good at evading enemy fire, should one corner her from far enough away, there is little she can do to get out of the situation. Though Eli would never admit it, Blur works best with, and sometimes even requires a team. :Equipment: -Sets of thrusters allowing for enhanced mobility and sustained flight. -Flare caches for more difficult evasive maneuvers. -Targeting system designed to track a single enemy and suggest/allocate NC power to close the distance in the quickest/most effective manner. Suggestions are automatic, control/execution is manual. :Armaments: -Standard-Issue NC Beam Sword -PPB-2.71 “Plasma Sword” (Purchased) -Deployable “Finger-Claws” (New-Anchorage Custom) -Set of demolition charges sized for NC's. The charges are kept as two separate components that are combined individually in their storage to become armed as needed, so as to avoid detonation from trauma to the housing NC. --- Vera Voloshyna (Left, Ana Moore. Right, Vera Voloshyna) Age 13 Appearance Vera’s short, her blonde hair equally so, and her eyes are vibrant, lively green. She’s taken to dressing like Eli in some cases, with scarves and hoodies and the like, and generally has smudges of dirt or oil on her face. One of her front teeth bears a chip to it. Personality Vera is both easily excitable and hard to bring down. The girl almost always has a smile on her face whether something fun is happening or not, and tends to be more on the gullible side. Background Vera’s parents were at Smith’s Rest long before she was born. Her mother was a doctor, and as Vera understands it she helped Ms. Jackspar deliver her daughter not long after their arrival, and it wasn’t until more than a decade later that she herself was born. Their families grew close, and Ms. Jackspar took on a completely different, warmer persona around the Voloshynas. When Vera was two, she spent much of her time being babysat by them, when she was five, she had managed to befriend Ms. Jackspar’s daughter, Elizabeth. When she was six, her parents vanished. The family had received threats multiple times over the course of their stay from residents none too fond of the Russian Volkov Security. The Voloshyna’s tried in vain to explain they held no part in the company’s actions, but when at last the threats turned to violence, they had no choice. The letters never addressed their daughter, perhaps because she spent so much time with the Jackspars it was assumed she was just another one of them. Regardless, when Vera’s parents fled they took the opportunity to leave her in the care of their friend, who agreed without complaint or protest. The girl did the rest of her growing up around Elizabeth, and the two grew incredibly close. She did not receive the same harsh training as Elizabeth but Ms. Jackspar did teach her a few tricks to keeping well in the settlement. -Due to an increasingly dangerous home environment, Celina sent her to "assist" Eli on-base. -Survived the assault on Smith's Rest Text Color: color=662d91 Example.
56,043	1,536	9	923	5,303	MAIN FACILITY -- MESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE Commander Graham’s announcement was clear: look busy. Jan Van Gent could do that. Just as soon as he finished making his latest sandwich, no less; it was masterpiece this time. A towering monstrosity of ham, cheese, lettuce, more ham, bacon strips, mayonnaise, and some more bacon strips. All put between two slices of bread he had cut himself from a loaf baked to his instructions. Truly, it was a work of culinary art in every regard... and now that it was finished he somewhat wondered where he could eat it while looking busy. Perhaps the NC Hangar? Yes, that seemed like a good spot. He could go order some grease monkeys around for a quick system check on Goldenspur. And so Jan and his sandwich slipped quickly towards the hangar, the lead tech on his NC knew the drill by now. "Van Gent, you miserable twat... do you ever actually do anything actually important around here that doesn't involve piloting this thing?" The voice of Chief Engineer Valdislav Kuznetsov groaned in sharp discontent as he caught Jan's approach from his position from behind one of Goldenspur's bipedal legs. The veteran mechanic and NC technician had decided to get his hands dirty and do the maintenance on Goldenspur himself rather than having any of the underlings in the department. After all, he hated sitting at his desk so it was a good excuse to get away from it. Nothing worse than doing nothing when you could be doing something; at least that was his perspective. "You try and pilot it then, go on, I'll wait here to call in a stretcher. Gives me enough time to finish this little snack here." Jan simply gave the man his signature infuriatingly smug smirk. Despite the back and forth stabbing he still quite respected the man's diligence. Still, as far as Jan figured it "a man's got to eat his sandwich when the call of a sandwich beckoned". "Anything that needs a checkup on the old girl?" Jan asked, trying to at least pretend he was here to do something important. The chief engineer sighed as he dropped the tool that was in his hand as he placed it on the ground. As he stood up from his crouched position he finally replied to the question. “Honestly? The repairs for your NC that were necessary were done a while ago, ever since Sophia decided to go off the reservation you guys have been sitting around doing nothing and I’ve been just making sure the gears work and make sure these damned NC's are clean. It’s fucking boring.” "Aye... It has been, I must confess I only came here because I literally couldn't think of anywhere else I could even pretend I'm doing something useful... But then again, us not having work could also be seen as a... good thing? I guess. I mean, it means we won't need to kill people for another day." “Graham just wants you to look pretty and not like you’re a slacker. Jokes on him though, you’re already a slacker!” The man grinned through his beard as if ignoring Jan's comment about not finding work being a good thing, “At least you’ve got your looks, though that can’t last long if you keep getting klonked by the girl.” "Getting klonked? What’s that supposed to mean?" Jan asked in confusion... did he mean Stein Kalfox? “Did you forget when Stein kneed you in your— never mind, you’re stupid. Ignore me.” Jan did remember that one time when he first met Stein, but that was before he had developed a sort of... respect for her. Nowadays he considered her... not exactly a friend, but someone he quite loved to pester. It was the only reaction he could make think of against such an uncompromising exterior. He half expected her to be standing behind her right now, just giving him her signature judging stare. Valdislav kicked his feet as he leaned against a long metal support, hands tucked in his pockets. “This does mean Graham is nearly ready to put you kids back in the field. I wonder how he’ll do with that compared to Sophia. Speaking of her, though— what was your version of her? Seems everyone on base has a different outlook about 'er.” Jan took another bite of his sandwich as he considered the question. He hadn't ever really gotten to know Sophia that well, for all he knew, she might have been the best commander ever before she decided to bug out and desert. "I really can't say man. I'd known her for maybe a few days before she... walked out." The chief engineer raised a brow, “She’s not going to come up from behind you if you talk ill of her, you know; but I guess you are right there. You couldn’t have had much concerns with her. You did what… two or three missions with her at the helm? Really it was like we blinked and she was gone. Spooky shit.” "Why did she leave anyway? I never really caught the reason. I heard some reasons, but most of them seem to conflict with each other." “Depends who you ask. She was cozy with Elizabeth Jackspar, but she talks less than Stein does.” Valdislav sighed as he looked down at his wrist to check the time. “If you want my opinion? She had a nervous breakdown and went what you’d call ‘AWOL’. I just call it crazy.” "Yeah, that seems the most likely explanation, most commanders don't just bug out for no apparent reason... and hey, Graham took over pretty nicely, though I don't really know who he is. I've heard some stories about his exploits, but I've never had the pleasure of working with or for him before. He seems to know his stuff though, at least from what I know of him." Jan commented. “Yeah.” Valdislav looked to his left and right to see if anybody else was in earshot before adding on to his reply. “Graham scares me and I don’t have the faintest clue why. Maybe it’s how quick he came in here and got things organized following Sophia's leaving, the fact he came out of nowhere when New Anchorage hired his ass, or the fact that he’s throwing these regulations and expectations around as if we were some military outfit. I don’t know about you, but it just makes me uncomfortable.” "Yeah, now that you mention it... he has run quite an extensive reorganization of this operation. And all the new blood he's bringing in, almost like he's building an army or something. I know I've survived as long as I did by walking out on people that thought they could take on the mega-corps in some sort of insurrection." Jan whispered the last part of his sentence, almost like he was afraid of openly criticizing the commander. "Listen, if he ever goes full retard like that, I have a passenger compartment in Goldenspur... consider it reserved for you." “I don’t know if you’re being friendly or if you’re being friendly. Just so you know, I’m too old for that and I don’t wrench that way.” The comment from the chief engineer seemed to come out of left field, perhaps the snarky jab was a way to settle his own fears and anxiety? Heh, perhaps Jan was finally starting to understand people in this mess of a base. "Yeah, screw you too mate." Jan finished his sandwich and spent some more time looking at the mechanics doing their job. To a casual oserver, he would look like he was overseeing things. “Again, no thanks.” Valdislav laughed.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,044	1,536	10	716	5,223	Penny could definitely hear some commotion on her train carriage, she was slightly tempted to peek and have a look what was going on. But she had work to do. Although she loved being a pilot she was still a journalist/analyst first and foremost and had a whole report on the Magen Corporation to finish reading so she could begin telling a story about their new weapons manufacturing schemes. She was in her element, reading off her pocket computer while taking notes off her holo-screen, wondering if she would be able to visit any of the major corporations in her new role underneath Michael Graham, so many unknowns, so much excitement. Her nerves began to settle as the train entered the county of New Anchorage, which she still called Smith's Rest in her mind. 3 generations of her family were from Alaska and even during the turmoil of war and civil unrest its difficult not be comforted by the sights of your own home. But with that came a sense of duty, although she worked in media, the military roots of her grandfather and father where strong in her veins. "Protect what we died to build...Save our home." Her grandfather's words would always ring in her mind when she was called to do something for the greater good. It was time to be a pilot again. There was still a little bit of time before the train reached the destination so Penny decided to run some training VRs on her Holo-Interface while on the train, she had just downloaded the latest demo for 'Marksman Mark 3' which would help her with her sniping in NC combat. Penny became a pilot fairly late, not growing up around them and having paid for formal lessons to become a pilot was very out of the norm for someone from a working class background. Most of her friends grew up with NC's working in garages or military branches. So Penny made a point to stay in practice whenever she could. Hoping not to be embarrassed by her peers when it came to a live combat mission. Deep breaths Penny, don't have to get the headshot, just make sure you hit something. The longer I can stay alive, the more interviews you can do. The VR booted up, and penny's lungs went tight with focus....	Name: Penelope 'Penny' Maverick Age: 23 Role: Sharpshooter/Sniper Personality: Penny is a spunky and inquisitive type who is endlessly curious about people and events and is know to ask a lot of (somtimes too many) questions. She is also fiercely savvy at public relations especially when it comes to corporate types. Backstory: Daniel Maverick, Penny's grandfather was one of the settlers who helped build Smith's Rest as he was stationed in Alaska during the time. Because of this, Penny's Father Jacques always made sure his daughter was very aware and proud of the Maverick name as he felt Smith's rest was a part of the families history. But Penny grew up curious about the world outside of Smith's Rest and became a journalist at age 17 using her media work to travel the world and to learn more about the current world situation following the Elysian war. After making a healthy profit selling high interest stories to the news divisions of corporation owned websites she used all of the money to buy a salvaged NC and formal pilot training as she felt that this was the next step to learning more about the world. She didn't have to think twice when learning about Graham's recruitment and signed up instantly. Tactical Preference & Skills: Penny chose an NC which would allow her to take more time to fire her shots and not get caught in the chaos of the melee as her reflexes arent particularly fast. So sniping came fairly easy to her, but she was cautious enough to train in the use of the Gatling gun for mid range combat to keep enemies off of her who try to close the distance. She typically likes to fly to high vantage points and fire high damage shots at unsuspecting enemies from a distance. Notes: She has an addiction to energy drinks that she would never admit to. Text Color: color=fff200 or Yellow THE VANGUARD SAINT Codename: 'The VanGuard Saint' Interceptor-2638 Model MkII Appearance : Body & Type: Bipedal Flyer-Type Equipment & Armaments : Right Hand: High Power Dual Purpose 'Avenger-Longshot' Rifle (Doubles as High Power Sniper and a Flamethrower for closer range) Left Hand: 'Chewing' High Velocity Gatling Gun with single use heat laser. Left Shoulder: Standard EMP Launcher (For disrupting enemy units.) Body: Heavy Armor Plating and Powerful Jet Pack Flight System No real Melee capabilities, and slow PvP reflexes.
56,045	1,536	11	1,409	1,959	Agatha Smith URTU-07 TRAM, SOMEWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA Everything creaked in the speeding can that was the Alaskan Tramline. The windows groaned with every bit of detritus that assailed the tram exterior. Sturdy cabins made of hardened metal rattled as they moved at such speeds they would crumple as though made of aluminum should they find themselves meeting a sudden stop with an equally sturdy object. Signs of age and deterioration where part and parcel with this whethered machine, and so too was one occupant in particular. Sitting with her back to the grime encrusted window, Agatha Smith's own bones were rattling in her seat. She was shaking at the prospect of what lay before her. Long lost glory was on the horizon, and she was on the literal fast train heading straight towards it. Eyes shifting to the fellow occupants of the train car, her lips curled into a sharp grin. She couldn't quite pin it down, perhaps it was the two NC pilots from Red Star territory caught in a spat over their foreign allegiances, or maybe it was the familiar scent of urine dripping down one's leg, but there was something about the barely constrained chaos of it all that shook her to her core. Nothing here was comfortable, and nothing was going to be easy. New Anchorage was insignificant in the grand scheme of things, with hardly anything of worth to it's name, so one shouldn't expect to hit it rich or have a laidback job up in the north. It made one question what drove someone to go this far for work. Back in her day- and lord did it behoove her to think in such terms- she was familiar enough with a vast menagerie of oddball NC pilots. It was only to be expected when they were all a bunch of teenagers sitting on several tons of armor and ordinance with the orders to shoot the other teenagers across from them with there own mecha. That kind of work breeds some odd tendencies even without the corporate dogma or rough upbringing that every pilot seemed to share and let define them. When your life's value is extrapolated from your ability to take another's, the mind has wonderful means of justifying it. At one time, Agatha had accepted it as her purpose in life. After all, if one is compatible with an NC, shouldn't they use that talent? Life is remarkably simple when you have a purpose, a goal to forever strive for. Agatha wanted the simplicity. The warmth found in a life of hardship. The life she once had- Her gaze flickered to the Alaskan wilderness passing by in the window and caught sight of own her reflection. What youth once was had long since passed, a wild main that shone like spun gold had withered to a dull grey, but that thin smile was the same as it was 30 years ago. Beneath the grime and the degradation of time, the lioness still stirred. Bones creaking as they failed to contain her excitement, she clung to this opportunity to return to the battlefield with the all the fervor of a drowning sailor.	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,046	1,536	12	1,700	2,624	T A H L I A S T Y L E S Mess Hall - New Anchorage It was true what Alexander had said about Tahlia not knowing anything about the Burrows. This girl had grown up and was stationed in one of the most remote area of Australia, a good 10 hours from any of the inhabitants on the Eastern Australian Colonies, and only receiving the information and data that she was allowed to receive. It was little wonder that she didn't know much about these "Burrows" let alone this so called "Room". It was propaganda at it's finest, a perfect way to control a dogs of the Red Star. Her orders back at the mines were quite simple... "Kill anything that was not Red Star and defend this establishment at all costs," and she did that, defending it until she was the very last soul to ever live in now ghost town that was once known as Broken Hill. Still his words ate into her as she stared, glaring down into his eyes to watch the fire ignite. The man who was previously informing others about his sob story of a life, telling them that he had to make amends to his past, telling them about his sins, had had the tact to question where her loyalty lied? "What if I 'was' loyal to Red Star?" she questioned, smirking with an evil like grin and knowing it would full well rile up the young man. "What would you do about it? Would you... pull a knife on me? Stab me in the neck? Watch me bleed and call me a rodent, a dog, perhaps even a coward?" Her index and middle fingers came together in a needle like pose as she lifted her hand and positioned the fingertips on the curve between the collarbone and neck. "But what would happen if you were oh so very wrong, and you killed a fellow comrade out of pure hate for Red Star? How would Graham view your actions and in turn, value of your life and your loyalty?" Tahlia knew that her statement would make him question who it was that she was really fighting for, but it was a necessary decision in her mind so she could see the stability of someone who had previously been enslaved by Red Star. She needed to know if he was willing to look past the past in order to focus on the future, that one's allegiance was not governed by one's birthright. "I don't sleep because I don't trust you, nor really anyone else on this tram for that matter," closing off the conversation in a direct and assertive matter so that he knew that even a fellow Red Star fighter would not be willing to easily defend him from the interrogations and inquiries of others. She turned and started to walk away towards the dining car, dropping the cigarette on the floor and watching it roll around briefly before catching it with the sole of her boot, all in front of the view of an older lady. An NC pilot ready for retirement? she thought to herself wandered past the older lady, right before Tahlia grabbed the door and swung it open, entering the dining car to find a decent meal.	Name: Jan van Gent Appearance:Jan stands at 1.65 meters tall. He has fair skin, dark-blonde hair styled shortly and combed to the side. He has little standards concerning the clothes he wears, usually wearing whatever he managed to get on the cheap from a clothes vendor. The only criterium to him is that something needs to be functional. It doesn't need to be pretty or graceful, it just needs to work. Age: 27 Role: Flanking/ counter-CQC Personality :A rash and boorish man by nature. Jan is a spirited individual with a somewhat cruel streak to his actions. He doesn't particularly mind if other people are served by his actions, but is ultimately mostly in it for himself. Despite this though, he places great value on loyalty and mutual respect, even if it is for the slightly pragmatic reason that a long-time partner is the best partner. Backstory: A storied and grizzled independent. Jan van Gent was never part of the big five, instead operating with all sorts of factions all over the world as a mercenary contractor. He has probably fought with and against every major player on the current global stage, switching allegiances in quieter periods when hsi current employer's funds dried up, though always taking care not to antagonize anyone enough to draw the wrong sort of attention. A recent stint as a volkov subcontractor saw Jan assigned to New Anchorage. Political machinations above his control then saw volkvov retract their support, with jan's contract being terminated in the fallout. Jan simply shrugged and renegotiated a direct contract with New Anchorage's commander. Just another day on the job. Tactical Preference & Skills: Jan has great proficiency and experience at spotting and exploiting oppurtunities in a tactical situation. He has very good aim with all equipped weapons even at high speeds. He can concentrate on whatever his current target is without anything feasibly breaking his stride, though he is suspectible to a sort of tactical tunnel vision as well. Notes: Jan returns from the previous thread. Text Color: None due to player bias/laziness NC Codename: Goldenspur Appearance: The goldenspur is a grizzled mercenary machine, much like its pilot. Its frame is painted a muted black with gold details. While standing upright, its silhoutte is very visible due to its signature custom-built shoulder plates, somewhat resembling the skeletal wings of the winged hussar cavalry of old. These shoulder plates are folded over the NC's backside when in standby, but stretch to their full impressive length when shoulder weapons are deployed. Body & Type: A medium-class tank body. Original manufacturer is difficult to determine due to the amount of disparate custom parts mixed and matched to create the NC. Armor plating has been stripped and replaced with ligther variants on all sides save for the front to allow for greater manouverability. The NC has the unusual ability to fold downwards into a threaded tank-vehicle designed for speed and getaways. Equipment & Armaments: Goldenspur's main armament is a high-power plasma lance designed to punch through heavy armor and inflict catastrphic damage on internal systems. It requires a long pre-charge time and consumes most of the reactor's energy output when fired, also requiring a cooldown period afterwards. The goldenspur has two standard grade gimballed autoguns mounted on its shoulders. Energy consumption on them is low, and the caliber is sufficient to deal with most non-NC targets as well as posing a threat to NCs with lighter armor. In terms of defensive measures, the goldenspur has a standardized ECM array to deal with fire and forget missiles, a radar dampening coating on its armor, and a set of smoke launchers to disrupt visual contact. The smoke has a peculiar chemical composition that disperses lasers fired through it.
56,047	1,536	13	1,365	7,516	ALEXANDER SKYPASSENGER CAR, INDUSTRIAL TRAM Before Alexander can reply, Tahlia had left, having rejected his olive branch. The fire faded out of his eyes soon after, as the necessity for it faded. The twenty-four year old sighed; he was not going to make a move against Tahlia until she had proven her loyalty or lack of. What he will do, however, was review what he vaguley knew about his fellow pilot; he recalled that the woman was an Australian 'priv' (aka a surface-dweller) who piloted a Spider-shaped NC? Finally noticing Agatha, Alexander would take a good, long, look, but not recognize her, although he can tell that she somehow belonged here; her eyes said so. Taking a gamble, he said: "Madam, I am honored to have a warrior skilled enough to survive to such a ripe old age be with us. And, I am sorry that you had to hear the...commotion between me and Ms. Styles, or rather, Ms. Funnel Spider." That was a reference to Tahlia's Australian origins and her NC. "Either way, you are very beautiful despite your advanced years, but you probably don't want to hear that." He sniffed. Did someone just urinate within the tram? Well, not his business. He had a badass old lady to talk to. "So," he finally decided to select a conversation topic, "How do you like Alaska? You must have seen a lot of harsh, but beautiful places in your time." A few moments to wait for a reply, before Alexander spoke again: "If people call your part of life a 'winter', then it is a winter of calmness and dignity." Ugh, that sounded like I was making a pass at her; it doesn't help that I am right; she is attractive. "All right, I know you're not interested in me, but I still stand by my words." Alexander then tried to sidestep the subject. "Either way, when will we get to New Anchorage?"	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,048	1,536	14	1,409	1,959	Agatha Smith URTU-07 TRAM, SOMEWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA Agatha raised a brow, surprised by the oddly deferential tone of the pilot across from her. Given his prior interaction with the Australian she assumed he was the confrontational sort, thought even that contradicted his interaction with that Joshua fellow. Agatha presumed he was just the sort who took political affiliation very seriously, but as an independent it wasn't really that big of an issue for her. Surprise was evident as Agatha picked up on the not so subtle interest that Alexander was showing her. Granted, one as seasoned as her didn't devolve into a blushing mess, even in her youth she wasn't the type. A peel of laughter, mirthful rather than derisive, barked out as she leaned heavily upon her knees. "My you are a forward one. I'd rather avoid the cliché of saying you're old enough to be my son, but you make it too easy." She teased as she reigned in her laughter. Sitting up, she flexed her arm in a show of strength. "Not to say I don't appreciate your opinion. You've got to take pride in your body if you want to keep it going strong." Agatha thought it only fair to check him out in turn and didn't dislike what she saw. A small part of her was disheartened to be contemplating another man after her husband, but if she wanted to remain a widower she wouldn't be on the train. "Alaska? Haven't been here before, but I've had some work over in Siberia. Cold, Harsh, and visibility is utter shite, but the work paid well. Should be interesting work, but you don't seem too focused on that. You want a word of advice?" Agatha rose, striding across the tram car to stand over Alexander. She brought a finger to his jaw line, idly noting this is the second time he would be manhandled by a woman in the past few minutes. "The poetry was a bit much, but It's sweet nonetheless." Once more letting out a peel of laughter, Agatha made for the dining cart, pausing beside the reporter-- As seen by the prominently displayed press badge-- who was busy with her simulation. "Be careful, that young man is a real lady killer." Agatha said conspiratorially before leaving for the dining cart. She had almost forgotten how much she enjoyed the oddballs.	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,049	1,536	15	1,318	425	PERCY & ELIBARRACKS, NEW ANCHORAGE It had taken a while, but Percy managed to make the room feel less like a bunk that was just copied and pasted and more like his (and Ana's) own space. He switched out the drab gray bed stuff with Ana's old mismatched set and he "borrowed" a couch bed from a vacant room for himself. The closet had some of Percy's clothes, and the small dresser inside had Ana's. The top of the dresser was home to a couple of books and a trio of stuffed animals - a turtle and two rabbits to be more precise. Ana liked those ones to be out. There was this damn table that just didn't fit in anywhere though, so he kept moving it around. "Dad." "Huh?" Percy looked up at his daughter as he moved the stupid table. again. "Leave the table alone! You're driving us both crazy with it!" Percy looked back down at it. He was kind of driving himself absolutely insane.. He laughed a little because that has to be be dumbest thing to let drive you insane. "Why don't you just put it in the room you took the couch thing from?" "Good idea." Percy lifted the table from the floor and started to walk out of the room, Ana tailing behind ready to ask something else. "—and since then it's been all just... y'know, you ever get that?" "No, not really." The voices were nearing, footsteps split between a steady pair and a lighter pair that couldn't seem to settle on a speed it liked. Before long the seemingly senseless conversation passed by the Moore's room, and all at once stopped. "Woah-woah-woah wait! Lizzy wait!" Vera yanked the older girl's arm to a stop, peering in the open door, a grin splitting her face. "VERA!" the question in Ana's mind had been "Hey, do you think I'm gonna run into Vera at all today?" but it was already answered. Ana ran up and hugged the older girl, allowing herself to succumb to the excitement inside of her by squealing happily and jumping up and down. "Vera Vera Vera guess what?" Percy had tried to stop Ana from pouncing the poor girl, but it was too late. His face was red with embarrassment as he looked to Eli with a very much "I'm so sorry" look on his face. Vera was not one to be the anchor, and so when Ana began hopping, she joined in, happy to have a little dance in the hallway. Eli stepped back to give them room, catching Percy's expression, even if it wasn't necessary. She tried to convey "it isn't a problem" as best she could with a nod, but it wasn't her forte. "What what what?" "I wanna see if you can guess first! C'mooonn, guess!" Ana's grin was about as big as Vera's, but she stopped jumping up and down and settled on just bouncing lightly on her feet, not able to completely leash her joy in seeing her friend. Vera kept the embrace going even if the bouncing had stopped, a quizzical look overcoming her face. She bit her lip, bobbed her head side to side. "Hmmm...yooooou....grew a foot taller? You got heat vision? Oh!" she snapped her fingers. "You're one of the new pilots? You gonna be in one of those big robots?" Ana stopped bouncing in that moment to look at Vera with a weird look on her face. "No," she said simply. Then she grinned again and said, "I mean, yeah, that'd be cool-" "You will do no such thing," Percy said quickly, his voice actually pitched up slightly. He didn't even want to think about his child getting into one of those things. Ana, ignoring her father, continued, "Buuuttt I AM gonna be around here like the pilots are! I'm staying with Dad! Here! If Vera had caught Percy's sharp protest, she didn't show it, instead matching Ana's earlier squeal of delight with her own. "Ohmygod yes!" Eli did, though with the hood and the scarf there was nothing to signify it. She could sympathize though, recalling only briefly when she'd found Vera asleep in Blur's cockpit. Percy felt that as Ana was talking about her staying here, it was a perfect time to bring up his idea - or maybe "thoughts" was the better word for it.. After setting the troublesome end table down just beside his door, hee took a step towards Eli then said in a quieter voice - as if the kids could hear them over their joyous squeals - "Can I talk to you for a second, or.. were you busy?" For a moment Eli didn't reply, instead looking Percy over, a habit with people that approached her first. The man looked more or less unchanged since the last time she'd seen him, with one more notable exception: the sleek, metalic hand. In the heat of Sophia's desertion, she must not have been aware of the wound, and less the repairation of it. Stuffing her hands in her coat, she remembered there was in fact a conversation at hand. "What?" She said, more than asked. "It's about the kids." Percy looked over to the two who were happily talking about how great it'll be to get to hang out with each other. "Ah.. Vera's not a trouble maker, right? Not much of one?" The short answer was no, the long answer was more of a "nnno" with a wobbly hand gesture. Had Vera caused trouble? Probably. Did she search it out? ...Probably. But Eli was convinced she meant well. She shook her head. "No." "Are you sure she won't?" Percy asked without really thinking - he realized a little too late how rude that probably sounded, and his little preemptive wince showed he knew very well that he was being rude. Or maybe it looked more like a judgmental squint. "No." Blunt, but true. As much as she trusted Vera, Eli couldn't --and wouldn't-- make promises for someone else. "And, uh.. another thing.. Do you remember that meeting with Graham from a while back?" It took a bit of self control not to scowl at the name, just out of reflex. "Which?" "I think it was one of the earliest ones.. I, uh.. Wasn't paying attention." He couldn't hide the sheepish looking smile on his face. He rubbed his hands together nervously for a moment, looking over his shoulder as if Graham was going to be right there, giving him a disappointed look, before continuing, "I think there were some mentions of how sh-" Percy glanced over to the kids again to see if they were listening - it kind of looked like they were, but he couldn't really be too sure. "It was a meeting about how things were going to be run now that Sophia's up and left. I, ah.. I don't quite remember what the rules were." "Deserted." Eli quickly corrected. "Graham knows the details, I'd imagine Lofgren does as well." "So you weren't paying attention to Graham's lecturing either?" Percy grinned slightly. She didn't look amused. "It isn't my job to report for you." Stark as the words were, it didn't sound like a reprimand. The smile on Percy's face faltered slightly, "I was just joking. I mean, the guy's so boring. Ha.." Grin completely gone, Percy broke the eye contact he had been making before to timidly look away to compose himself before he really couldn't recover. "Boring or not, New Anchorage is confident he's what we need." The redhead shrugged slightly, looking back at Eli, "I guess." Before either adult could speak again, Percy was pulled from the conversation when he felt a small tug on his sweater. "Dad, me and Vera are both starving." "Yeah c'mon, talking and eating at the same time is like, part of your guys's training right?" Percy couldn't help but smile at the two kids - Vera especially in that moment. "Sure, yeah. Didn't mean to keep you girls like that," Percy looked over to Eli, then Ana, then finally settled his gase on Eli. "Would you mind if Ana and I just walked with you and yours?" "Course we don't mind!" Vera said, exchanging a brief glance with Eli before turning back to the others. "The more the merrier!" Percy looked to Eli, trying to get another response from the person he actually had asked. "Right... We'll all need to be there anyway." was about all she offered. The meeting was mandatory, she wasn't about to get reprimanded in front of new recruits on their first day. And with that, Ana ran towards the mess hall. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" "ANA!" Percy's shout went unheeded as his child continued to run in the hall, and Vera, not wanting to be the rotten egg, hurried after her.	Percy J. Moore Age: 32 Role: > Support Appearance: He's a pretty average looking guy. He's about 5 ft 8in, 167 lbs. He has red hair and freckles all over his body, suggesting he's at least a little Irish. At least a little. Even though everything else about him seems warm and inviting, his eyes are a cool gray blue. Some people have told him he looks a little girly, but his stubble shows otherwise. He also has a little bit of a nose on him. Normally, he'd wear a blue jean jacket with a faux fur collar with a dark sandy brown turtleneck underneath, light jeans with dark long-johns underneath, and some worn but sturdy leather-y hiking boots (with socks, of course). He also has a set of more intimidating black steel toed boots, but he doesn't wear those very often. He also has two silver rings on his left hand. One is his wedding ring, the other is his wife's. The glasses shown in the picture are merely for reading. (I just couldn't keep the glasses-wearing Percy to myself tho like look at him) Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) He's got one or two screws a little bit loose.. He's paranoid, temperamental, overprotective and has a very hard time relaxing. Under all that he's really just scared. He's scared for his daughter and himself. He doesn't want his girl to end up like her mother - dead - or him - an emotional mess that's barely got his shit together. If you can get through the barrier to the guy underneath it, you've got yourself a friend that's gonna have your back 99% of the time. Backstory: He was living an average life that was as comfortable as it can be in a wasteland with his mother and father in Smith's Rest.. maybe even a little bit sheltered. After moving out of the house so he can have some time to really figure out who he was as a person, his parents died shortly after because of a disease that was spreading across the settlement. A few years after that, and after a few romps with some other people, he met a lovely woman that was just a year older than him - Laura. Laura was, in his eyes, very pretty, very intelligent, and very much the yin to his yang. They just clicked. They had a child out of wedlock, but they married after their little girl, Ana, was born. A few months later, as they were finally settled into parenthood and Percy thought that maybe everything's alright, Laura was killed in an accident in her workplace. Percy had to tackle parenthood alone. He did awfully at first - Laura was a much better parent than he was at that point in time - but he gradually got better. Ana grew up to be a bright eyed little girl. He took the job because he was in need of the huge sum of money promised. He thought he could just get in, get out, be over with it.. It'd be easy! He was so, so wrong - he figured that one out after the surgery to get his plug.. That's what he gets for not reading the fine print. After dealing with a surprise attack on Smith's Rest, he's gotten meaner and a little less forgiving. Then, after the events of the Navy attack, his NC was damaged to the point it locked up, was able to be toppled, and the right side of his body was mangled pretty badly - so badly in fact, on top of breaking his leg, he lost his hand. His face was luckily kept in tact. He's back into what Sophia called the unfair game with much hesitance.. he prays he doesn't lose any more body parts. Tactical Preference & Skills: > He'd rather stay away from bloodshed if he can, but if he can't, sticking close to the team would be his second choice. He has a very strong desire to protect those around him, even if they're in huge mechas, making him an adequate support. > If he was to do a solo mission and the only person he has to worry about is himself (and he's confident that he'll be fine), he would find no issues with getting his metal hands dirty. Or oily, I guess. Notes: > He hates getting drunk - not because of what it does to him, but because his hangovers are awful > He has pistol that's been passed down for generations upon generations. It's technically obsolete, but he's very good at using it. > He also has a pocket knife that was a sort of "parting gift" from Sophia (the former commander). > He has a prosthetic hand now. He both hates it and kind of totally loves it. > His sync rate is around 75-90%, depending on his mental state. Text Color: LightSteelBlue, or b0c4de Codename: Papa Mike Appearance:: Looks clunkier and heavier than it really is. Basic metallic black paint with white accents. Has a couple dings here and there, but it's not affecting anything major. Older model modified to meet standards of the present, really. Body & Type: > Bipedal > Originally designed to be semi-proficient at most tasks. Has been modified to be faster and more powerful than the original. Equipment: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > Slightly damaged stock neural computer - a bug in the computer is that it calls Percy "Micheal" instead of "Percy." Percy has tried to fix it but is afraid he'll break something else. He's not a coder for fuck's sake. > Above-average thrusters specifically designed for short bursts of speed > Slightly above average generator Armaments: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > VEKW-01.65 (New-Anchorage Custom - 35 rounds, mid-to-long-range) > PPB-2.71 (New-Anchorage Custom - melee (laser sword), standard white in color) Small Standard Fairbanks-Model missile launcher on the back (3 missile burst, long-range) random tidbits (will be added to as I think of things) > Before the NC was Percy's, it belonged to a guy named Michael who was actually an assault/support for his squad.. hence the computer calling him "Michael" :P Ana L. Moore The redhead is Ana. The ushanka girl is Vera Age: 8 Appearance: She's just past the average height of girls her age, being 4ft 2in, but she's underweight at 50 lbs. She shares many of her father's physical traits, just softened (especially her nose). She also has his red hair and freckles - her freckles are more in her face, however. Her eyes are a very lovely shade of green. She's usually wearing a pink and white striped sweater that's beaten up from being worn so often, some dark pants that are equally as beat up, and some shoes that are so worn it's probably time for new ones. She has what she would call "a dumb monkey hat with stupid looking gloves that match" that she really would prefer not to wear (she's eight, not FIVE), but her father makes her wear it sometimes when it's colder than usual. Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) Despite all that's happened, she's still very optimistic and caring. She's got a will made of titanium and she's braver than she realizes she is - even braver than her father, who she feels is the bravest person in the whole world. She's a little bit like her father in the sense that she also has a touch of a temper as well... maybe not a touch. Backstory: She was born to Laura and Percy. She never knew her mother, because she died when she was little. When the surprise attack in Smith's Rest happened, she was almost taken away for who knows what purpose. Almost. She was saved, but her perceptions of the world changed pretty drastically. She didn't know just how scary the world was till then. She's slowly learning to deal with the nightmares, but she probably won't like confined spaces very much. Notes: > She stole a box of crayons from the school once. She still has that box of crayons. > She absolutely loves dogs. Puppies are awesome. > She is very much capable of taking care of herself.. for the most part. > She's a bit clumsy - she has a very tiny, almost unnoticeable scar on her nose, between her eyes. she walked into a door frame when she was little. > Birthday is August 7th. Text Color: Violet or ee82ee
56,050	1,536	16	1,372	1,641	Jingo Strange Steel wheels railed against rails beneath the jittering, jerking cabin, going on and on monotonously much to Jingo's dissatisfaction. Falcon Reach had recently had a rail terminal put in, the companies were bedding down for the long haul and to them it only seemed right that they invested in their territory. Now this offered Jingo the opportunity to not have to take The Wessex, though he loved the old thing he more often then not forgot he was a person and woke up from piloting starving, having not eaten for days; however the train came with it's own set of problems, it was loud, smelly and the time it took to get form one place to another was unbearable. Not to mention the stops, oh the stops were the bane of his existence, he didn't mind meeting the new people, in fact he loved it but the time it took to load cargo during all those stops was enough to make him want to shoot himself. Jingo lounged in his cot, half naked and steaming away behind the curtain; somewhere along the journey he had caught a nasty flu and as all flues do, this one matured into a splitting headache and a fever from hell. He sneezed, loudly, followed by another and another, gasping for breath he fumbled in the dark for something to wipe his nose, his hand gripped a soaked towel, drenched from all the sweat. In his frustration he chucked his towel out of the bunk, sending it sailing across the cabin and into the window. "Agh.." he groaned, turning over and clutching his stomach, "Cen we please 'ave some quiescence?" he mumbled, throwing the curtain aside and swinging his legs out, dangling them in front of the young man's face. He lifted himself off the cot, landing on the floor a bit shakily, his shirtless torso glistening with sweat, "'Cause Oi've got a wedge somewhere betwixt the two halves of me brain and it's causing me pain to no end." With no regard to the pair, he reached up to his cot, leaning over the young man to retrieve his prosthetic, sweat dripping down into Alexander's lap. Deftly, Jingo strapped it on in one fluid motion. He looked out of the window with dull eyes, outside all he could see was snow. 'That glass must be cold..' like a robot, he moved with jerking, mechanical movements to the frosted pane of glass. He tentatively brought his hand to the surface and released a loud, almost orgasmic groan of pleasure. 'It's as cold as that girl's attitude. Slowly he applied more of himself onto the glass, shivering against the frigid pane in satisfaction. At that point he wished he had more skin to press against the glass, the rubber sheet stapled over his left side left much to be desired in the way of feeling. "My god!" He cried out, "Ye have te try this!" Alerted by the sound of its yelling owner, Jingo's Inheritance leapt out of the bunk, landing on the floor of the carriage with a resounding, metal clank. Skitters skittered and slipped on the metal floor making haste to its master's side, it stood in front of him, alert and watching the occupants of the tram - ready to spring at any moment. Jingo looked down and stared at the dog through bloodshot eyes, he let out a loud sneeze followed by a tired smile. "'ello there, Sk'ers." Now Jingo was on the other extreme of temperature, shivering against the pane of glass, held there by his frozen sweat. He eased himself off the pane, leaving a person shaped pitch of frost on the window and hugged himself; he yelped right after, having stabbed himself with the claspers at the end of his prosthetic arm. The dog jumped in alarm, losing it's footing and slipping onto its flank, Skitters lay floundering on its side. Jingo leaned down and picked it back up, it squirmed his grip which surprised him because he didn't know a robot could squirm, and put the dog back on its feet. "Oi'm sorry abou' tha'." He called out to anyone in the carriage, "we're an easily excitable pair."	Joshua Ray Appearance Joshua Ray is a twenty-seven year old young man with brown eyes, long black hair in a pony-tail, and a somewhat lanky frame. He stands about six feet tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. While he is somewhat squishy, he isn't weak in terms of strength. His skin is notably pale for a 'Surface-Dweller' due to his sheltered upbringing, and he carries himself as if he doesn't want to make a scene at most times. Age 27 Role Joshua Ray fits into both a 'Heavily-armored heavy weapons specialist' and 'High mobility demolitions' role. Due to this, his NC can fit both. Personality Joshua Ray is a kind, optimistic young man with fire and hope in his eyes, possessed by a desire to make the world a better place and wander around. That's what he'd be doing if he had any say in the matter, but a man with an NC has to eat. He dislikes doing extremely 'dirty' operations, yet is just fine being a more cunning or surreptitious sort. He's not one to talk often, but he does appreciate company, as long as they're also of the more silent type. He's easily noted for his somewhat deadpan, snarky humor and mild self-deprecating tendencies, yet maintaining a fairly friendly demeanor. However, for all of his love of justice and morality, he's a bit of a coward. Backstory Joshua Ray grew up in one of the many scattered surface settlements, in a still somewhat irradiated, yet peaceful area in one of outlying Denver-Vegas territories. Living a somewhat sheltered life, he developed a love of reading pre-war and modern stories, documents, and religious writings, not to mention a strong sense of righteousness and morality that stands with him to this day. When he was of age, he began wandering the world with his own two feet, going from continent to continent by salvaged boat or independent aerial transporters. Doing odd-jobs as needed around the world, he never lost his thirst for justice nor his hope to play a part in creating a better future for all of mankind. One day while working in a medical facility, what appeared to be an error in some minor group or another's "Neural-Combatant Compatibility" detection hardware revealed that he had the necessary mental or psychological asset that gave him the capability to control one. Calling in favors with friends and extended family, he soon found himself controlling a custom-built lightweight NC known as the Apollo, after an absolutely ancient group or project that apparently resulted in men landing on the moon overhead. While originally built from scrap at a junkyard and using hand-me-down Neural Nets and software, over three years the Apollo turned into the heavily armed and armored beast it is today. Eventually, however, he accepted all the independent contracts that he was any interested in, and decided to finally fall into a larger group. Going from one corporate army to another, he now waits to see if New Anchorage wants him or not. Tactical Preference & Skills Ray is highly adept at high-speed pursuit and maneuvering, managing heavy weapons, and bracing/fidgeting before impact to reduce the lethality of enemy attacks. His best skill, however, is his ability to determine the situation he's in and the safest way out if need be. Notes Joshua Ray's favorite pastimes include star-gazing, reading ancient and modern documents and stories, and finally contemplating with others about the universe and humanity's place. Not to mention video games. Text Color ff4c4c Apollo 'Heavy' AppearanceThe red Apollo 'Heavy' is a somewhat bulky heavily armored unit with many reaction control verniers and weapon mountings. While a thicker example of an NC, it is still a fairly sleek and well-rounded unit, armor able to render most non-specialist weapons fairly useless. Body & Type The Apollo is a heavily armed and armored bipedal type, with additional jets compared to most other heavy NC's, giving it a decent amount of maneuverability for its weight class. Although, it's still not particularly quick in a straight line. The NC itself stands at a mighty 26 meters, towering over medium weights and lightweights, although just a bit on the short side for fellow heavies. Equipment & Armaments The Apollo 'Heavy' is very well armed, with weapons and equipment including: One right-handed custom-built heavy particle rifle, firing deadly globs of hydrogen based plasma. It has a very high rate of fire for a weapon of its class and individual shot-strength, and has additional heatsinks compared to your standard plasma weapon. Due to these qualities, it's a very good suppression and anti-NC weapon, although its long range abilities are moot, and it can only reasonably fire when the NC is maneuvering slower. Made out of a combination of Paragon, Volkov, and Magen parts. Six 1 meter diameter missile racks on the back 'wings', these can take many types of warheads and missile bodies, although Ray usually loads them with long-range anti-armor missiles. 1 Heavy siege-shield, fitted with heat-resistant coating and sharpened to the point it can be used similar to a 'Pile-bunker' gauntlet. Fitted on the left arm with a gauntlet, leaving the hand free. 1 left-handed kinetic sniper rifle with a belt-feed. Based using Denver-Vegas parts, this rifle has a very long operational range and can easily damage most NC's and slow, armored targets like bunkers or naval ships. 2 hip-mounted Thermal Cleavers, each with a pointed tip, allowing them to slash and stab with equal ability. They are generally folded up like a butterfly knife on each hip, unless in use. One is as long as the NC's arm, and the other is about half as long, similar to a Katana and Wakizashi pair, although the blades are straight and less fancy. The Apollo is also equipped with an array of chaff-launchers, fitted with four charges of a special type of chaff that interferes with infrared and RADAR targeted weapons, while also reducing the capability of laser or particle arms. Finally, all of the units' ammunition is stored on a large backpack right beneath the units' thruster 'wings', with two feeds connecting to the Apollo's plasma caster and sniper-rifle, pumping hydrogen and sending large caliber bullets respectively. Fuel is stored inside tanks within the Apollo's legs and the sides of the chest. Unique Feature In an emergency, the heavy armor plating, extraneous thrusters and power-routing cables powering them can be ejected by the heavy clamps and occasional electromagnets that hold them in place. This results in the Apollo 'Heavy' effectively turning into the Apollo 'Light', with changed features below. Apollo 'Light' Appearance The Apollo Light is a thinly armored NC that is in all actuality just the frame for a much larger one, yet able to act independently. Standing two meters lower than its original form, the Apollo-Light is still taller then most average NC's, yet less so. The Apollo Heavy's shield divides in two at the middle, and combines with the now armorless wing-portion to form two large 'binders' on the backside. The motions of these in flight can severely enhance the rotational and maneuverability based capabilities of the NC. Body & Type The Apollo-Light is nearly armorless in comparison to the Heavy form, but the power generator, now having to feed a smaller amount of turbojets maneuvering a lighter NC, can overdrive the aforementioned for even more speed. Of course, the now 'needlessly heavy' systems installed do weigh it down to the point it's not as fast as it could be if optimized. Equipment & Armaments Much less heavily armed compared to the Apollo 'Heavy', the inner frame of which is only armed with its sniper rifle and plasma-caster, but its ammunition backpack is still in place, alongside its shield, although technically. Of course, with the armorless wings being able to move, they can still assist in defense. Theoretically, if need be, the connection ports powering the other weapons can send electrical arcs through the air like a tesla-coil, but Ray never tried that before in mild fear. Notes Compared to the 'Heavy form', the 'Light' Apollo is much more worthy as a scout or any other position that requires stealth, with a boxier and thinner design. If needed, it could be outfitted with RADAR-absorbent coating and act as reconnaissance unit.
56,051	1,536	17	923	5,303	ALVAREZDEPOT STATION, NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON “URTU-07.” The voice of Matthew Alvarez could barely be heard over the sound of screeching metal and hot steam as the tram finally had arrived at New Anchorage’s operational base. After Graham had asked him about reconfirmation about the time, Matthew had decided to prepare for the greeting as it was a great deal of his job as operations administrator to do so. Truth be told, while he preferred Graham’s direction compared to how Sophia handled things there wasn’t much of a difference in terms of adding new pilots to the operation’s roster. He had done it when Stein Kalfox was incorporated and here he was doing it with the new recruits that came in for their application. Then again, half-a-dozen pilots would take tasking more thoughts than one or two. But he had tasked mundane non-NC pilots in greater amount, so he figured this wouldn’t result in much difficulty. He stood there with datapad in hand, as he adjusted the glasses. As he awaited the doors to open and the New Anchorage passengers to exit, he waved one of the depot coordinators over. His tone was flat and quiet, but somehow through all of the racket he was audible. “Ms. Pryde.” “Yes, operations administrator?” “I want the transport units working fast and efficiently— each NC should be in the NC hangar before Graham steps foot in there. Do you understand?” “Yes, I’m on it.” If there was one thing Sophia abandoning New Anchorage did it was increase its efficiency— one of the central reasons Matthew was quite favorable towards Graham’s organizational overhaul. Though, there were many differences of opinion about Graham as soon as he showed up and started “barking” even though Matthew disagreed that the barking was unwarranted. He thought back to the complaints that the Head of NC Analysis before James Lofgren was spouting likening Graham as a “despot”, “corporate wolverine”, and “psychopath”. Matthew had been more than happy to give him his official dismissal. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the first one to share discontent with Graham out of addled paranoia and a lot of the operation took a bit of a hit for it. Infantile emotions had no business of existing when there was a job to do. But New Anchorage recovered from it and was all the better for it. Good riddance. Ending his thought, he nodded as his hands waved her off, “Good. Go.” Matthew flipped through the datapad with a pen as he looked over the dossiers he had compiled, though he did so briefly. While he remember the information in his memory he still was helpful to look it over. He was good with information and knowledge… less so with faces. His datapen stopped on a name and face he recognized more than the rest— John Strange or rather as some of the other pilots knew him as, Jingo. It was good to have a familiar proven pilot returning back to New Anchorage. Unlike the rest of the motley crew of pilots, Graham probably wouldn’t require him to go through the introductory process; it would be pretty simply to renegotiate his contract. He moved his attention to the time in the corner of the datapad. 12:06. Any minute now.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,052	1,536	18	1,365	7,516	ALEXANDER SKYPASSENGER CAR, INDUSTRIAL TRAM; OUTSKIRTS OF NEW ANCHORAGE BASE Alexander would notice the barely dressed man who, despite his disfigurements, still held some trace of good looks, and not bat an eye as Jingo - not that he knew his name yet - reached out for a prostethic, sweat dripping down Alexander's lap. The latter would then observe as the man played with his robot dog; would that be a loophole in any No Pets Allowed policy in the base? Then, Alexander would finally speak. "It's okay, I'm fine with it," the twenty-four year old would then smile. "Anyway, I won't lie, any day I see anyone, male or female, bare-chested is a good day," he would then try and think of a topic of conversation, before realizing— "I think we've arrived." Then it hit him; they've arrived! Straightening his flight jacket and jumpsuit, Alexander waited for the Passenger Tram to open, being careful not to be the one to enter the base first; that might strike the commander as overeager and unprofessional. Instead, he deffered to Jingo or Agatha as they moved out, following them deferentially. He wasn't stupid; appearing overenthusiastic would just rub the more 'settled' of the pilots in the base the wrong way. As he walked outside, he can smell the scent of urine and blood behind him; again, he ignored it, although he was having an inkling where it had come from - he was just ignoring it. It's going to be hard to protect that kid, were his only thoughts on the matter, before, as he walked outside to the cold air, doing some introspection. He was not totally certain that New Anchorage was the chance for atonement he presumed; as Denver-Vegas was Red-Star's enemy, he had heard of the 'Blood Trinity' of that corporation, and he had no illusions that a member of said 'Blood Trinity' was going to give 'moral' orders to him or anyone else. But, Graham wasn't corporate, and so that still made him better than other potential paymasters. Of course, residual loyalty to D-V might make the commander treat Alexander badly, especially if Nathaniel Ingram was related to the Grahams or other members of the B3. He probably wasn't, but Alexander was a little paranoid. But there was another part of Alexander who thought: Squee, I get to see a mech as famous as Hyperion! He was already imagining it as a blue-and-gold mech which evoked the sun in a blue sky, or as a heavy D-V model packed with weapons...	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,053	1,536	19	1,409	1,959	Agatha Smith Depot Station, New Anchorage Agatha stepped off the train and into the buzz of activity that was the unloading of a half a dozen NC's and lord knew what else from the train. Lights flashed, sirens wailed, and the shouts of foreman coalesced together into a nigh incoherent assault on the senses. A sharp inhale brought with it the scent of oil, slick and permeating the air of the platform. "About damn time." Even on it's busiest days the scrapyard never felt so active. There was an air of uncertainty that hung heavy on the platform, falling upon her shoulders like a familiar coat. What was life if you could see if from start to finish? Certainty of your future was infinitely worse than uncertainty. A bit of fear can serve as an excellent motivator. A dash of desperation pushes people to their limits and beyond. She acknowledged the situation must be grim if they'll take an aged lion like herself when every other independent couldn't show her the door quick enough. However, even if the New Anchorage was on the verge of collapse, she was going to fight so long as she had fuel and munitions for her NC. If Anchorage would give her a shot, she'd be damned before she proved them wrong. Spotting someone who carried himself like the man in charge, casually perusing a datapad amidst the hustle and bustle, gave her cause to think he would be worth talking to. Breaking into a brisk jog she was before him shortly. There was a click as she brought her boots together and stood proudly at attention. Face stern, severe, and struggling with every fiber of her being to contain her excitement, she proudly declared, "Agatha Smith, Pilot of NC Charon, reporting for duty." It may have made her look eager, but she wasn't going to make an effort to lie about that. Agatha was living the dream, and wasn't going to let the other's pilot's reticence hold her back.	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,054	1,536	20	1,700	2,624	T A H L I A S T Y L E S Mess Hall - New Anchorage A couple of eager people had left the train before Tahlia, leaving her to wander casually back to her original sleeping area in order to gather her belongings. The faint smell of urine wafted in the air, singing the nostril hairs and forcing her to breathe through her mouth. The sooner she could get off this annoying train the faster she could get into some private quarters, have a decent rest, and thanks to this hovering smell, a decent shower. "Smells like a fucken shit-house..." she muttered under her breath as she placed one foot on the bench seat of where she was attempting to sleep before. She reached reached up, standing on the hard surface and towards her duffle bag. As she carefully felt around she grabbed the handles and made a graceful lean back, stepping off the bench and dropping back down to the floor below. The bag fell with her allowing her to catch it within her open arms before giving it a good swing and throwing it over one of her shoulders. Tahlia stepped out of the train, feeling the pressure of the cold air against her body. She pulled her jacket closer together, locking her hands in the pockets. The girl from the outback Australia who was used to sitting in an NC with an internal temperature that 10 degrees hotter than the outside temperature wasn't completely happy with this below zero atmosphere. Each breath she took gave off a mist, causing her lips to feel dry. She looked towards the other end of the tram noticing the NCs being unloaded from the container carriages, and there was her pride and joy, her little beasty, her bucket of shit that was now the biggest paperweight that was humanly possible. You wanted to prevent a few pages from flying away? Nah, how about a full library! With every armament now damaged in one way or another and a fuel cell that was completely dry, Tahlia knew that she would need a full team of mechanics in order to bring her little monster back online. Looking forward Tahlia noticed the older lady rush straight over to the man holding a datapad, announcing her name as Agatha Smith and giving him her full attention. Tahlia walked over next to the lady, giving her a bit of a side look and wondering how someone could be that excited about getting into an NC. It was a level of excitement she couldn't understand but unlike Agatha, Tahlia had never spent time out of the NC business and didn't know the meaning of retirement yet. Tahlia gave a strong inhale, pulling in as much of the air as she could and noting the lack of smell in the air, "Glad you're not the one to piss on the train," she slowly breathed, twisting her body to look back at the other individuals and sight over for if any of them were acting rather... odd. "Tahlia Styles," she spoke out, not bothering to face Agatha or Matthew for the moment. The eye-spy game she was engaged in of trying to spot the culprit was just too much fun.	Name: Jan van Gent Appearance:Jan stands at 1.65 meters tall. He has fair skin, dark-blonde hair styled shortly and combed to the side. He has little standards concerning the clothes he wears, usually wearing whatever he managed to get on the cheap from a clothes vendor. The only criterium to him is that something needs to be functional. It doesn't need to be pretty or graceful, it just needs to work. Age: 27 Role: Flanking/ counter-CQC Personality :A rash and boorish man by nature. Jan is a spirited individual with a somewhat cruel streak to his actions. He doesn't particularly mind if other people are served by his actions, but is ultimately mostly in it for himself. Despite this though, he places great value on loyalty and mutual respect, even if it is for the slightly pragmatic reason that a long-time partner is the best partner. Backstory: A storied and grizzled independent. Jan van Gent was never part of the big five, instead operating with all sorts of factions all over the world as a mercenary contractor. He has probably fought with and against every major player on the current global stage, switching allegiances in quieter periods when hsi current employer's funds dried up, though always taking care not to antagonize anyone enough to draw the wrong sort of attention. A recent stint as a volkov subcontractor saw Jan assigned to New Anchorage. Political machinations above his control then saw volkvov retract their support, with jan's contract being terminated in the fallout. Jan simply shrugged and renegotiated a direct contract with New Anchorage's commander. Just another day on the job. Tactical Preference & Skills: Jan has great proficiency and experience at spotting and exploiting oppurtunities in a tactical situation. He has very good aim with all equipped weapons even at high speeds. He can concentrate on whatever his current target is without anything feasibly breaking his stride, though he is suspectible to a sort of tactical tunnel vision as well. Notes: Jan returns from the previous thread. Text Color: None due to player bias/laziness NC Codename: Goldenspur Appearance: The goldenspur is a grizzled mercenary machine, much like its pilot. Its frame is painted a muted black with gold details. While standing upright, its silhoutte is very visible due to its signature custom-built shoulder plates, somewhat resembling the skeletal wings of the winged hussar cavalry of old. These shoulder plates are folded over the NC's backside when in standby, but stretch to their full impressive length when shoulder weapons are deployed. Body & Type: A medium-class tank body. Original manufacturer is difficult to determine due to the amount of disparate custom parts mixed and matched to create the NC. Armor plating has been stripped and replaced with ligther variants on all sides save for the front to allow for greater manouverability. The NC has the unusual ability to fold downwards into a threaded tank-vehicle designed for speed and getaways. Equipment & Armaments: Goldenspur's main armament is a high-power plasma lance designed to punch through heavy armor and inflict catastrphic damage on internal systems. It requires a long pre-charge time and consumes most of the reactor's energy output when fired, also requiring a cooldown period afterwards. The goldenspur has two standard grade gimballed autoguns mounted on its shoulders. Energy consumption on them is low, and the caliber is sufficient to deal with most non-NC targets as well as posing a threat to NCs with lighter armor. In terms of defensive measures, the goldenspur has a standardized ECM array to deal with fire and forget missiles, a radar dampening coating on its armor, and a set of smoke launchers to disrupt visual contact. The smoke has a peculiar chemical composition that disperses lasers fired through it.
56,055	1,536	21	1,372	1,641	Joshua Ray URTU-07 TRAM, SOMEWHERE IN NORTH AMERICA DEPOT STATION, NEW ANCHORAGE Joshua, seeing they were near or effectively at their destination, retreated from the awkward situation and packed his few things. He didn't even require a duffle bag, grabbing his backpack with a few articles of clothing, a survivalists knife, a book of the same, and some snacks. Mostly gummy bears. Well, he did have a little logbook of his, but he was pretty sure every NC pilot had one of those. He scribbled a few notes about his experiences with an attached pencil while walking towards the exit of the tram, still hating the amount of people there. Note to self:, he began writing, Feud with man that looks sort of like me possible now, steer clear cheer him up. Buy a drink? No could be seen as me hitting on him Give him snacks Yes, he put his little log and note-book in his backpack then finished getting off the train, seeing that two other pilots already found the man they were apparently supposed to meet. He walked over there and made himself visible, but only just, behind and beside the two women. He simply waved to make sure he was seen, motioned to his neck to indicate he was an NC pilot, then waited in the 'corner' of the little 'group'... even though there weren't any actual corners. Still, he managed. Whatever response he got, he simply nodded and made sure to be only just visible. He began absentmindedly scanning over and analyzing the two women he was next to. He couldn't think of any names but the older one certainly felt familiar, in the sense of a somewhat famous person you know you know, but you just can't name right now. Argylle? Anthony? Smitters? No, that one with the scrapyard... He was sure he heard about her one time in his travels, certainly matched the description. Apparently an NC pilot that managed to 'retire'. Did this old lioness want to get back in the game? 'Can't blame her,--' he thought to himself, 'It's a nice gig, I suppose.'	Joshua Ray Appearance Joshua Ray is a twenty-seven year old young man with brown eyes, long black hair in a pony-tail, and a somewhat lanky frame. He stands about six feet tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. While he is somewhat squishy, he isn't weak in terms of strength. His skin is notably pale for a 'Surface-Dweller' due to his sheltered upbringing, and he carries himself as if he doesn't want to make a scene at most times. Age 27 Role Joshua Ray fits into both a 'Heavily-armored heavy weapons specialist' and 'High mobility demolitions' role. Due to this, his NC can fit both. Personality Joshua Ray is a kind, optimistic young man with fire and hope in his eyes, possessed by a desire to make the world a better place and wander around. That's what he'd be doing if he had any say in the matter, but a man with an NC has to eat. He dislikes doing extremely 'dirty' operations, yet is just fine being a more cunning or surreptitious sort. He's not one to talk often, but he does appreciate company, as long as they're also of the more silent type. He's easily noted for his somewhat deadpan, snarky humor and mild self-deprecating tendencies, yet maintaining a fairly friendly demeanor. However, for all of his love of justice and morality, he's a bit of a coward. Backstory Joshua Ray grew up in one of the many scattered surface settlements, in a still somewhat irradiated, yet peaceful area in one of outlying Denver-Vegas territories. Living a somewhat sheltered life, he developed a love of reading pre-war and modern stories, documents, and religious writings, not to mention a strong sense of righteousness and morality that stands with him to this day. When he was of age, he began wandering the world with his own two feet, going from continent to continent by salvaged boat or independent aerial transporters. Doing odd-jobs as needed around the world, he never lost his thirst for justice nor his hope to play a part in creating a better future for all of mankind. One day while working in a medical facility, what appeared to be an error in some minor group or another's "Neural-Combatant Compatibility" detection hardware revealed that he had the necessary mental or psychological asset that gave him the capability to control one. Calling in favors with friends and extended family, he soon found himself controlling a custom-built lightweight NC known as the Apollo, after an absolutely ancient group or project that apparently resulted in men landing on the moon overhead. While originally built from scrap at a junkyard and using hand-me-down Neural Nets and software, over three years the Apollo turned into the heavily armed and armored beast it is today. Eventually, however, he accepted all the independent contracts that he was any interested in, and decided to finally fall into a larger group. Going from one corporate army to another, he now waits to see if New Anchorage wants him or not. Tactical Preference & Skills Ray is highly adept at high-speed pursuit and maneuvering, managing heavy weapons, and bracing/fidgeting before impact to reduce the lethality of enemy attacks. His best skill, however, is his ability to determine the situation he's in and the safest way out if need be. Notes Joshua Ray's favorite pastimes include star-gazing, reading ancient and modern documents and stories, and finally contemplating with others about the universe and humanity's place. Not to mention video games. Text Color ff4c4c Apollo 'Heavy' AppearanceThe red Apollo 'Heavy' is a somewhat bulky heavily armored unit with many reaction control verniers and weapon mountings. While a thicker example of an NC, it is still a fairly sleek and well-rounded unit, armor able to render most non-specialist weapons fairly useless. Body & Type The Apollo is a heavily armed and armored bipedal type, with additional jets compared to most other heavy NC's, giving it a decent amount of maneuverability for its weight class. Although, it's still not particularly quick in a straight line. The NC itself stands at a mighty 26 meters, towering over medium weights and lightweights, although just a bit on the short side for fellow heavies. Equipment & Armaments The Apollo 'Heavy' is very well armed, with weapons and equipment including: One right-handed custom-built heavy particle rifle, firing deadly globs of hydrogen based plasma. It has a very high rate of fire for a weapon of its class and individual shot-strength, and has additional heatsinks compared to your standard plasma weapon. Due to these qualities, it's a very good suppression and anti-NC weapon, although its long range abilities are moot, and it can only reasonably fire when the NC is maneuvering slower. Made out of a combination of Paragon, Volkov, and Magen parts. Six 1 meter diameter missile racks on the back 'wings', these can take many types of warheads and missile bodies, although Ray usually loads them with long-range anti-armor missiles. 1 Heavy siege-shield, fitted with heat-resistant coating and sharpened to the point it can be used similar to a 'Pile-bunker' gauntlet. Fitted on the left arm with a gauntlet, leaving the hand free. 1 left-handed kinetic sniper rifle with a belt-feed. Based using Denver-Vegas parts, this rifle has a very long operational range and can easily damage most NC's and slow, armored targets like bunkers or naval ships. 2 hip-mounted Thermal Cleavers, each with a pointed tip, allowing them to slash and stab with equal ability. They are generally folded up like a butterfly knife on each hip, unless in use. One is as long as the NC's arm, and the other is about half as long, similar to a Katana and Wakizashi pair, although the blades are straight and less fancy. The Apollo is also equipped with an array of chaff-launchers, fitted with four charges of a special type of chaff that interferes with infrared and RADAR targeted weapons, while also reducing the capability of laser or particle arms. Finally, all of the units' ammunition is stored on a large backpack right beneath the units' thruster 'wings', with two feeds connecting to the Apollo's plasma caster and sniper-rifle, pumping hydrogen and sending large caliber bullets respectively. Fuel is stored inside tanks within the Apollo's legs and the sides of the chest. Unique Feature In an emergency, the heavy armor plating, extraneous thrusters and power-routing cables powering them can be ejected by the heavy clamps and occasional electromagnets that hold them in place. This results in the Apollo 'Heavy' effectively turning into the Apollo 'Light', with changed features below. Apollo 'Light' Appearance The Apollo Light is a thinly armored NC that is in all actuality just the frame for a much larger one, yet able to act independently. Standing two meters lower than its original form, the Apollo-Light is still taller then most average NC's, yet less so. The Apollo Heavy's shield divides in two at the middle, and combines with the now armorless wing-portion to form two large 'binders' on the backside. The motions of these in flight can severely enhance the rotational and maneuverability based capabilities of the NC. Body & Type The Apollo-Light is nearly armorless in comparison to the Heavy form, but the power generator, now having to feed a smaller amount of turbojets maneuvering a lighter NC, can overdrive the aforementioned for even more speed. Of course, the now 'needlessly heavy' systems installed do weigh it down to the point it's not as fast as it could be if optimized. Equipment & Armaments Much less heavily armed compared to the Apollo 'Heavy', the inner frame of which is only armed with its sniper rifle and plasma-caster, but its ammunition backpack is still in place, alongside its shield, although technically. Of course, with the armorless wings being able to move, they can still assist in defense. Theoretically, if need be, the connection ports powering the other weapons can send electrical arcs through the air like a tesla-coil, but Ray never tried that before in mild fear. Notes Compared to the 'Heavy form', the 'Light' Apollo is much more worthy as a scout or any other position that requires stealth, with a boxier and thinner design. If needed, it could be outfitted with RADAR-absorbent coating and act as reconnaissance unit.
56,056	1,536	22	716	5,223	JAN VAN GENTHANGAR, NEW ANCHORAGE Jan's conversation with Vladislav was cut short by a beeping from his watch. "Yeah, I've got a mandatory meeting to get to... don't break anything cause I insulted you alright? I had a guy like that on one outfit... guess that's what you get for working with anarchistic religious zealots... Funny story really, I should tell you one day." Vladislav did not know what to say to the mere implications of what Jan just said, even if he had, Jan just walked out immediately afterward. The mechanic did the only thing he could... He shrugged his shoulders and got back to work. Jan had underestimated the distance between the mess hall and the hangar. his clock was at 12:05 by the time he reached the first mandatory lunch call... Not a good impression.	Name: Penelope 'Penny' Maverick Age: 23 Role: Sharpshooter/Sniper Personality: Penny is a spunky and inquisitive type who is endlessly curious about people and events and is know to ask a lot of (somtimes too many) questions. She is also fiercely savvy at public relations especially when it comes to corporate types. Backstory: Daniel Maverick, Penny's grandfather was one of the settlers who helped build Smith's Rest as he was stationed in Alaska during the time. Because of this, Penny's Father Jacques always made sure his daughter was very aware and proud of the Maverick name as he felt Smith's rest was a part of the families history. But Penny grew up curious about the world outside of Smith's Rest and became a journalist at age 17 using her media work to travel the world and to learn more about the current world situation following the Elysian war. After making a healthy profit selling high interest stories to the news divisions of corporation owned websites she used all of the money to buy a salvaged NC and formal pilot training as she felt that this was the next step to learning more about the world. She didn't have to think twice when learning about Graham's recruitment and signed up instantly. Tactical Preference & Skills: Penny chose an NC which would allow her to take more time to fire her shots and not get caught in the chaos of the melee as her reflexes arent particularly fast. So sniping came fairly easy to her, but she was cautious enough to train in the use of the Gatling gun for mid range combat to keep enemies off of her who try to close the distance. She typically likes to fly to high vantage points and fire high damage shots at unsuspecting enemies from a distance. Notes: She has an addiction to energy drinks that she would never admit to. Text Color: color=fff200 or Yellow THE VANGUARD SAINT Codename: 'The VanGuard Saint' Interceptor-2638 Model MkII Appearance : Body & Type: Bipedal Flyer-Type Equipment & Armaments : Right Hand: High Power Dual Purpose 'Avenger-Longshot' Rifle (Doubles as High Power Sniper and a Flamethrower for closer range) Left Hand: 'Chewing' High Velocity Gatling Gun with single use heat laser. Left Shoulder: Standard EMP Launcher (For disrupting enemy units.) Body: Heavy Armor Plating and Powerful Jet Pack Flight System No real Melee capabilities, and slow PvP reflexes.
56,057	1,536	23	923	5,303	STEINMESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON Food at New Anchorage hadn’t changed too much since Stein arrived at New Anchorage and Graham hadn’t put much changes to the regulations of the mess hall when he arrived several weeks ago. Well, except for the fact that the mess hall was no longer “always open” and that if you missed out on your scheduled lunch or equivalent you would go without food for another six hours. Generally it wasn’t an illogical decision to make considering how much stress it took off the individuals who were responsible for cooking the food. Despite that fact, Graham’s organization had allowed a degree of leniency on food variety and stocks which resulted in food request forms to allow certain officers the right to request a specific type of lunch if they were privy to spending their hard earned credits on that. Stein herself wasn’t too “picky” but even she did have her preferences. Back home in the outskirts of Seattle, Stein’s meals had been decidedly Pacific Northwestern with the unsurprising lean of Russia due to Volkov’s twenty or so years of incorporating into what used to be Elysian Dream territory. So it was with her preferences in mind that a week ago she filed a request form. Outside of training, simulation, and her mech Stein didn’t have many interests but being comfortable and perhaps a bit nostalgic with her meals was one of them. Her lunch was comprised of Pirozhki rolls, a Caribou stew, and a sandwich with Borodinsky rye bread tailored to Stein’s tastes accompanied by a glass of vitamin-enriched water that sat firmly on the tray Stein held in her hands as she took a seat. For those who didn’t specify with a request form, it was whatever the cooks made today. As she took a seat she heard a heavy sigh from the command officer who was in charge of seeing the NC pilot attendance through, as far as Stein recalled his name was Jon Ignan. “You’re late, Van Gent. You know I’m going to have to mark you. Don’t even talk to me, go get your food. Graham will be introducing the new pilots sometime this hour.” Heh. Van Gent. Stein shook her head as she looked to her right— the rest was either in line getting their food or sitting down at the table. While there was no “seating arrangement” this one was sort of setup to be the one for the pilots and for the most part the riff-raff left her alone. Well… outside of Vera. But for some reason Vera didn’t bother her in the slightest, a fact she couldn’t quite get the pulse on. She looked back to her lunch as she grabbed a roll and dipped it in the stew. “Things are shaping up… almost like they used to.” She muttered before taking a bite.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,058	1,536	24	1,318	425	PERCY MOOREMESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE FACILITY SEVERAL MINUTES AGO Ana nearly slid right into a table as she arrived in the mess hall; she didn't mind, though, cause she definitely won the race. She looked back and grinned at the blonde tailing just behind her. "You're a rotten egg!" Ana teased. "ANA," Percy's exasperated voice rose over the two girls laughing about the race. He lowered his shout to more of an angry whisper, "You get over here right now, young lady." Ana's beaming smile turned into a very small frown; she knew she was in trouble just by the way Percy spoke. However, before Percy could make another comment towards his daughter, a loud yet irritable sigh became apparent. Percy caught the eyes of a command officer of which he wasn't particularly familiar of who had been put in charge of making sure himself and the other NC pilots had kept to the mandatory scheduling that Graham had ordered. ”Moore. Jackspar.” The man was not thrilled about what he was seeing here and up until today he had never even engaged with any of the NC pilots due to the fact that he was Alvarez’s underling who kept the files archived in perfect order. While he was probably thrilled to get out of the databanks and away from the servers his new responsibilities irritated him. Alvarez had deemed him worthy of being a “babysitter” and even Percy could tell he wasn't a fan. “The mess hall is not a playground. See to it that your wards understand that.” He looked at his watch. “You are the first, but there is still plenty of time for the rest of your unit. Let us hope they are on time. You may receive your rations in fifteen minutes.” Percy nodded curtly in response before dealing with his child, having her sit down at the closest table, back to the table. Percy then knelt down in front of her so he could make focused eye contact. "You know better than that," his voice was stern - a possible surprise to anyone listening. Who knew Percy, of all people, could actually sound like he actually meant business? Ana looked confused for a moment - she had been listening to Jon speak and got side tracked - before understanding, "Sorry." "You know better than that! You could've bumped into someone. You could have slipped and fell. You could have cracked your head open! These are metal floors! Do you know what metal would do to your pretty little head, Ana!?" Percy held her loosely by her arms, making sure she's paying attention. "I know, dad," Ana's voice was small, "sorry." Percy let the words sink in for a moment before he continued, his voice softer. "Let's not race in the hall anymore. Okay? Please?" Percy smiled, letting go of Ana's shoulders. Ana nodded, looking at Vera briefly before settling her gaze to the floor, noting the little pattern of the metal. She winced a little as she thought about how bad that'd hurt if she did fall. As Percy stood up and sat down next to her, he spoke again, "I'm not mad. I was just a little worried. It's fine." The little redhead girl turned around so she'd be facing the table, looking up at the clock: 11:46. She let out a tiny groan - she had to wait fourteen more minutes to eat?	Percy J. Moore Age: 32 Role: > Support Appearance: He's a pretty average looking guy. He's about 5 ft 8in, 167 lbs. He has red hair and freckles all over his body, suggesting he's at least a little Irish. At least a little. Even though everything else about him seems warm and inviting, his eyes are a cool gray blue. Some people have told him he looks a little girly, but his stubble shows otherwise. He also has a little bit of a nose on him. Normally, he'd wear a blue jean jacket with a faux fur collar with a dark sandy brown turtleneck underneath, light jeans with dark long-johns underneath, and some worn but sturdy leather-y hiking boots (with socks, of course). He also has a set of more intimidating black steel toed boots, but he doesn't wear those very often. He also has two silver rings on his left hand. One is his wedding ring, the other is his wife's. The glasses shown in the picture are merely for reading. (I just couldn't keep the glasses-wearing Percy to myself tho like look at him) Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) He's got one or two screws a little bit loose.. He's paranoid, temperamental, overprotective and has a very hard time relaxing. Under all that he's really just scared. He's scared for his daughter and himself. He doesn't want his girl to end up like her mother - dead - or him - an emotional mess that's barely got his shit together. If you can get through the barrier to the guy underneath it, you've got yourself a friend that's gonna have your back 99% of the time. Backstory: He was living an average life that was as comfortable as it can be in a wasteland with his mother and father in Smith's Rest.. maybe even a little bit sheltered. After moving out of the house so he can have some time to really figure out who he was as a person, his parents died shortly after because of a disease that was spreading across the settlement. A few years after that, and after a few romps with some other people, he met a lovely woman that was just a year older than him - Laura. Laura was, in his eyes, very pretty, very intelligent, and very much the yin to his yang. They just clicked. They had a child out of wedlock, but they married after their little girl, Ana, was born. A few months later, as they were finally settled into parenthood and Percy thought that maybe everything's alright, Laura was killed in an accident in her workplace. Percy had to tackle parenthood alone. He did awfully at first - Laura was a much better parent than he was at that point in time - but he gradually got better. Ana grew up to be a bright eyed little girl. He took the job because he was in need of the huge sum of money promised. He thought he could just get in, get out, be over with it.. It'd be easy! He was so, so wrong - he figured that one out after the surgery to get his plug.. That's what he gets for not reading the fine print. After dealing with a surprise attack on Smith's Rest, he's gotten meaner and a little less forgiving. Then, after the events of the Navy attack, his NC was damaged to the point it locked up, was able to be toppled, and the right side of his body was mangled pretty badly - so badly in fact, on top of breaking his leg, he lost his hand. His face was luckily kept in tact. He's back into what Sophia called the unfair game with much hesitance.. he prays he doesn't lose any more body parts. Tactical Preference & Skills: > He'd rather stay away from bloodshed if he can, but if he can't, sticking close to the team would be his second choice. He has a very strong desire to protect those around him, even if they're in huge mechas, making him an adequate support. > If he was to do a solo mission and the only person he has to worry about is himself (and he's confident that he'll be fine), he would find no issues with getting his metal hands dirty. Or oily, I guess. Notes: > He hates getting drunk - not because of what it does to him, but because his hangovers are awful > He has pistol that's been passed down for generations upon generations. It's technically obsolete, but he's very good at using it. > He also has a pocket knife that was a sort of "parting gift" from Sophia (the former commander). > He has a prosthetic hand now. He both hates it and kind of totally loves it. > His sync rate is around 75-90%, depending on his mental state. Text Color: LightSteelBlue, or b0c4de Codename: Papa Mike Appearance:: Looks clunkier and heavier than it really is. Basic metallic black paint with white accents. Has a couple dings here and there, but it's not affecting anything major. Older model modified to meet standards of the present, really. Body & Type: > Bipedal > Originally designed to be semi-proficient at most tasks. Has been modified to be faster and more powerful than the original. Equipment: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > Slightly damaged stock neural computer - a bug in the computer is that it calls Percy "Micheal" instead of "Percy." Percy has tried to fix it but is afraid he'll break something else. He's not a coder for fuck's sake. > Above-average thrusters specifically designed for short bursts of speed > Slightly above average generator Armaments: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > VEKW-01.65 (New-Anchorage Custom - 35 rounds, mid-to-long-range) > PPB-2.71 (New-Anchorage Custom - melee (laser sword), standard white in color) Small Standard Fairbanks-Model missile launcher on the back (3 missile burst, long-range) random tidbits (will be added to as I think of things) > Before the NC was Percy's, it belonged to a guy named Michael who was actually an assault/support for his squad.. hence the computer calling him "Michael" :P Ana L. Moore The redhead is Ana. The ushanka girl is Vera Age: 8 Appearance: She's just past the average height of girls her age, being 4ft 2in, but she's underweight at 50 lbs. She shares many of her father's physical traits, just softened (especially her nose). She also has his red hair and freckles - her freckles are more in her face, however. Her eyes are a very lovely shade of green. She's usually wearing a pink and white striped sweater that's beaten up from being worn so often, some dark pants that are equally as beat up, and some shoes that are so worn it's probably time for new ones. She has what she would call "a dumb monkey hat with stupid looking gloves that match" that she really would prefer not to wear (she's eight, not FIVE), but her father makes her wear it sometimes when it's colder than usual. Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) Despite all that's happened, she's still very optimistic and caring. She's got a will made of titanium and she's braver than she realizes she is - even braver than her father, who she feels is the bravest person in the whole world. She's a little bit like her father in the sense that she also has a touch of a temper as well... maybe not a touch. Backstory: She was born to Laura and Percy. She never knew her mother, because she died when she was little. When the surprise attack in Smith's Rest happened, she was almost taken away for who knows what purpose. Almost. She was saved, but her perceptions of the world changed pretty drastically. She didn't know just how scary the world was till then. She's slowly learning to deal with the nightmares, but she probably won't like confined spaces very much. Notes: > She stole a box of crayons from the school once. She still has that box of crayons. > She absolutely loves dogs. Puppies are awesome. > She is very much capable of taking care of herself.. for the most part. > She's a bit clumsy - she has a very tiny, almost unnoticeable scar on her nose, between her eyes. she walked into a door frame when she was little. > Birthday is August 7th. Text Color: Violet or ee82ee
56,059	1,536	25	403	341	Yeshua shifted into the cramp cubicle, the sepia yellow dominating and also receding at the same time. The walls were peeling off like a snake’s skin, revealing the grainy cement beneath it. Lights had been left on for far too long, and most of all, the stall was hot. It was creeping down his neck, and made his hair sticky. He tore a few rolls of paper off the bacteria-ridden handle. Damp toilet roll dabbed at his cut, removing the blood and hopefully keeping the wound clean. The glass had been on the floor, Yeshua remarked, which meant it might as well have been covered with every known disease to man. He was in a rush. If his guessing was right, the stop would be coming up any second now. Looking down to his magnum opus, he tried to remove all visual information from the accident. He scrubbed and rubbed and eventually ripped off his trousers in a fit of muscle-worked rage. The front of the trousers was hot, like an iron, and had been worn away to just a thin sheet. Thumping his forehead, he scrunched his hair into a ball and wish he could throw that in the corner, too. Knock on the door. It surrounded him, pinned him to the ground, and froze him. The entire carriage, the stall, the outside world, his mind, was silent. Another knock. His tongue begged for action, his feet begged to run, while his eyes remained fixed on the door. His glasses fell onto his nose. The door crept open, against the heat. His foot flung forward. It smashed closed, catching the intruder’s fingers at the closing bang. “Ah, jeez! Sawrry bud, make shurr ya lawck it next time, OK?” The murmurings trailed off as he felt pressure lift up from his shoulders. His hair flopped down once again. He had nothing else to wear. Through the misted window, where one would expect the Pacific wildlife, he noticed that the countryside and desert was devoid of all colour. The tidal forces of the carriage had ceased carrying him. They had left him alone, in his boxers, in this cubicle. They were waiting for him. He had carried nothing else into the cubicle apart from himself, and now his trousers were truly ruined. The only pair was in his travel bag. He heard the commotion of every passenger heaving themselves off, thudding like a herd of wildebeest to the watering hole. Yeshua waited in angst, in denial. The toilet flushed behind any unwanted remnants. The door, with the smallest of moments, became open, and the strangely naked being crept out of it. Outside, the brilliant blue sky was smiling down on the world, the sun so clearly unaffected by personal troubles. It remained steadfast above the fast-forming queue, ready to be taken to the New Anchorage base, wherever it may be. Wildlife was far behind them, but still visible, as even the most average birds flew in the sky, their deformities obsolete and unnoticeable. In the last few seconds before perfection, Yeshua triumphantly strolled out of the tram, his eyes intent on his soon-to-be unit. He lifted his head in visual and audible range, smiling. “Oh dear, oh dear, I shall be too late! Yeshua Horowitz, NC pilot of the Anzu.”	Name: Yeshua Horowitz Appearance: Standing at 5'10 Yeshua isn't measly in stature. His thin and lanky frame is often covered by two layers of clothes. You'd be hard pressed to find him not wearing a coat or jacket, even if it was rather warm. Only military regulation makes him seem to fit in. Age: 16 Role: Midline Personality: Yeshua is far from outgoing in his nature. He is not quiet and quite parsimonious with his beliefs, almost to the point beyond reason. He values and observes a much bigger picture than some people realise, often letting him feel detached or pity those who he spends time with. He is quick to judge and often feels no guilt, but takes a keen responsibility for other people's problems, that can lead him to be viewed as either extremely polite or extremely irresponsible. The boy has many opinions which he isn't afraid of sharing, and if Yeshua feels he has been treated unjustly, will not stand for it. He is poisonously sarcastic, too. Yeshua is a strange boy. His glare has a certain eager bloodthirstiness about it, a burning ambition mixed with the frightening frigidness of a killer. He is a master of the mind, able to pick up nuances and small movements as fast as a camera. His mind is stock-full with knowledge, and while seeking wisdom, he has little to offer. Darwinian morality isn't exactly his slice of cake, he does stem much of his philosophy from nature, which interests him almost as much as the nuances of people. His timid obsession with the obscure and childlike flinching from contact, coupled with his lack of empathy to the needy, hides a frail, frightened boy who never, no matter what he could do, live up to his own expectations. Backstory: Yeshua (born Joshua) was the child of Otto Horowitz, a mildly famous biologist working in the most prestigious parts of the most rich sections of Paragorn-controlled Germany. His mother was never mentioned to him and without someone to care for him in the home, he often spent his time alone or on the wild webs of the internet. The nanny that cared for him had left to go see a parent who had been critically injured. Alone in the house, Joshua quickly called his father, telling them that about the nanny's absence, leading to her to be replaced by an automated robot, the first of its kind. In his father's absence, the boy grew up without influences and soon grew suspicious of him. At the age of 11, he felt the repercussions of Paragon's nearby enemies when his father kept coming home from work less frequently and even more tired. He was pushed to the edge, and Joshua felt it. Taken away from his father, the boy lived in the Alps with his grandmother. Away from society, the boy could read and write, and so he did for as long as he could. Creating beautiful poems, he would often read them to his grandmother, for her sight was failing and, by the time his magnum opus came about, his grandmother could barely appreciate it. He felt squandered. His grandmother was fond of him but held back by her principles. When he wanted to leave her and find his father, no help was given. Joshua knew he could not leave in such an isolated area and did not want to live his entire life as a farmer, as his grandmother was. He grew skeptical. He could see the convoys of military transports passing through the mountains, knowing times grew more desperate every hour. His grandmother, parent to not his father, but his mother, gave him the King James Bible and with it, in his adolescence, he studied with as much determination his father had. The wild swathes of books that had been laid out for him was not simply a mere collection by his elder; it was a gift from his father. How else could he teach Joshua the wonders of the universe? In the middle of the night he snuck out, only 14. The cold of the mountainside was nothing to him, as he was determined to find his father and ask him all the questions had developed in his mind. Making his way to the small village of Ungarbt, Joshua had the dread. The same dread as being left alone by his caretaker; this time he had no one to save him. Trying to solve these problems by himself was too difficult for him, so he went to the local police station. This is when the news struck him; an ambulance was driving into the nearby hospital as he entered. His grandmother had died of a heart attack after realising he was gone. Without any relatives and still no idea where his father was, he was sent to a special training facility in the western reaches of Paragon, near modern-day Lithuania, and Joshua’s quick eagerness lead him to become one of the elite few to test the NC without question of what Paragon actually wanted from him. While he was always incredibly talented at picking up a task and turning it into an art, entering an NC training school is anything but an easy task. While no one had the courtesy to declose this information with him, it had become obvious that it was his heritage of scientists and technicians that had allowed him to partake in extensive and exhausting training. He was bottom of the class and learnt to spite those mocking him. His foster family, a branch of modern Judaism (Torahts), were originally irritating to him until he It was amazing to see things from a different point of view in a different place. His questions became more fruitful but in turn his family became to spite him, with his constant criticism that undermined their faith. When his town was attacked by raiders, his family had little time to relax. Stashed heirlooms and family heritage was left behind, was attacked, Joshua lost contact with his family in the chaos, panicking and afraid. The area had become a hot spot of the exiled natives of the Middle East, who the Paragon had 'kindly' taken in after the Magen takeover. MAgen, being a mostly Muslim controlled Company, had no room for Torahts, and that is what led Joshua's adoptive family to settle above the Black Sea. Scalded for crossing the line, Joshua had run to the coast. Before he had any time to reflect, smoke began rising from the town. The hellish sounds and vibrations of the NCs were as clear as ever. This was not the first time he had seen them, for they would often be paraded through the streets of Germany as a sign of strength (and fear, Joshua realised). When he arrived in the town, the black soot of destruction had choked everything. Hiding in a library, the raiders drew closer. It was only when a Paragon NC came and saved him from the onslaught did he survive, his family dead or lost. Against the popular opinion, Joshua's scores only skyrocketed afterwards. Living on his own a few miles away from his old town, the Raiders never touched the NC training school. His prestigious skill with the NC, particularly with the discarded Paragon NC called the Anzu, became extremely apparent. Able to operate independently, Joshua changed his name and was sent to New Anchorage over mysterious circumstances, but most deduce it to his outstanding NC skills. Maybe this time he could find the answers he sought; what it meant to be human, alive and breathing. And whether or not he could ever deserve that answer. The rest is for the biography, Joshua-turned-Yeshua chuckles. Tactical Preference & Skills: Midline: Yeshua’s NC is not strong enough to stay on the frontline, nor is it powerful enough to stay at the back of the formation. Instead, he remains behind the more powerful NCs whilst dishing out devastating damage in close and mid range. Knowledge: Yeshua has memorised hundreds of different parable, texts and stories. His mind is brimming full of information, and he can usually come up with a scientific and practical solution in most situations. Ambitious (or stubborn): One would be hard pressed to convince Yeshua against what he wants; this undeniable, insatiable wanting that drives him makes him militarily vital to get on your side. Notes: Text Color Anzu Appearance White coat fading, the Anzu is ethereal, royal, but hasn’t been maintained properly for months. In war, paint won’t protect you. Body & Type The Anzu is a modified mid line NC, which had many different shady funders, mostly strange cultists and worshippers. Massive, incredibly powerful plates act as shields on its forerarms, shoulders, chest and knees, while leaving the rest of the rather soft body exposed. Equipment & Armaments Head - Standard Array Body - Standard Thrusters Right Arm - GXT-95F ‘Imdugud’ Flamethrower, disruptive but unreliable Left Arm - GBT-96F 'Apsi' Hydrant System, running through the entire NC and can have high-pressure water ejected from the left arm in case of lubrication or aid. Right Leg - Ziz Thrusters, specialised in short bursts of descent control. Left Leg - Ziz Thrusters, specialised in short bursts of descent control. The Anzu carries the Ninurta’s Cannon, a heavily experimental and extremely unreliable weapon that takes 4 seconds to charge, and when it does, releases an extremely hot and powerful maelstrom of energy. The cooldown timer has never been fully measured, for it will always have the chance to overheat and backfire; instead, it is up to the pilot when it should be used afterwards, but the further between blasts suggests a lower chanccenterastrophic failure.
56,060	1,536	26	923	5,303	ALVAREZDEPOT STATION, NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON His hand flipped to her dossier on his datapad as he looked to the individuals that took initiative in their posture and form, but Matthew Alvarez wasn’t from a military background so it didn’t invoke much for him personally. There were a lot of interesting individuals even discarding their appearance of a disorganized motley crew of lost discarded toys. But in a lot of ways they were to become Graham’s toys now, assuming they agreed to his terms— though the reality was that they were already famillar with the contract New Anchorage gave them and they signed eagerly. He wondered if anyone of them had read it in greater detail when most of them were so ridiculously desperate. But desperation led to many things such Graham’s operation. But they could always resign from their position if they wished. He wondered which ones would actually stay on for more than a week given his overview of what Graham had planned for them. Heh. Not all of them were NC pilots though. Graham had sent out contracts for people in financial, military, logistic, and maintenance fields as well as asked for people by name such as his various children. When Graham arrived Matthew was to direct the non-pilots to their designations and familiarize them with their accommodations and responsibilities. He stopped to think what could’ve been taking Graham so long? But before he could pursue the thought for much longer a voice cut from behind him. Graham’s. “Alvarez.” Matthew turned his head and there he was, as expected. Graham must’ve done a routine check to see if everything was in order before meeting with the recruits. “Bring me up to speed.” “No absences. But they seem to be as heterogeneous as described by our reports— their dossiers are up-to-date excluding information we could not acquire from Red-Star that they deemed confidential about Styles and Sky. I have read up on their contractual information as well and they have all agreed to the contract New Anchorage sent them so there shouldn't be any issues going forward.” Matthew stated as he pointed to the two aforementioned pilots as if making a note of them with the datapen before handing over the datapad to Graham. He nodded as he looked to the group. “Non-pilot staff will go with Alvarez. Pilots will come with me. Any questions?"	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,061	1,536	27	1,365	7,516	ALEXANDER SKYLOCATION, NEW ANCHORAGE The clause allowing Alexander to resign at any time was a comfort to the 24-year old as he watched the other pilots gather around him. Right now, he felt comfort in their presence, except for Tahlia's, but he supposed he had all the time in the world to repair relations. Of course, he was more than certain that the piss had come from the sixteen-year old among them, but he was not going to betray the kid, not unless he asked for it. Then, he saw Graham, and his thoughts were: Wow, that man is attractive. Did he just age well, or did he use medical tech? Of course, Alexander wasn't dumb, he felt like Graham was someone who took advantage of the pilots' desperation to give them a contract that signed away their rights, as well as a hard man who was a former elite pilot of Denver-Vegas for a reason. But still, that face, those looks! And he was meeting them as soon as possible! Now, time to think up questions, questions that would hopefully not betray his hopefully temporary infatuation. He needed something related to military matters and the base, something actually relevant and not a waste of time. "Sir," he said, "What is the military history of New Anchorage? All I know is that it is an independent outfit that takes on mercenary jobs with a complement of skilled pilots and that it has a feud with more than one of the Mega-Corps." There, something relevant and useful for new pilots to know. Also, Alex was sure his voice was even, that his eyes were level and not too wide, and of course, that he wasn't sweating with tension.	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,062	1,536	28	923	5,303	GRAHAMDEPOT STATION, NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON Graham remained silent for a moment as he considered the information about New Anchorage that he had read. There was a lot he could elaborate on but keeping it brief and to the point was probably more appropriate. “It was originally founded as Smith’s Rest around seven decades ago, and has been the only settlement to actually survive their existence in the Alaskan territories. It was renamed New Anchorage a few months ago when two major corporations— Fairbanks and Volkov —took an interest in the area. Most of it’s “military” lifespan has been dealing with raiders, slavers, and other rogue elements. It was only under the base’s former commander that they began involving themselves in other matters.” As he explained his answer Alvarez began to escort the non-pilots out of the depot, leaving Graham with the individuals New Anchorage had hired. He would have to words with a few of the important non-pilots he had hired at a later point in time, and he was interested in seeing how his children would take to the more independent job but both of them had become fed up working with their previous employers and were eager to work under him. Though he wagered a lot of that was in an attempt to get him to notice their achievements and skills in some sort of affectious nostalgia. But he wasn’t their father here in New Anchorage, he was their boss; a fact his son and daughter would learn eventually. All of the employs would learn he was not playing some game or shitty power fantasy. He had an agenda with New Anchorage and he would see it through. He clipped the datapad to his utility belt before putting his hands behind his back. “I intend to take a proactive approach in making New Anchorage relevant beyond these subversive criminal elements and the leaders of New Anchorage have faith in my command of this operations base in that. That is why we have hired you lot on, to help with my direction going forward. As for feuds? We have some tension with Red-Star, Volkov, and Fairbanks, but nothing major.” He looked at the rest of the group as he felt he sufficiently answered Alexander Sky’s question as he waved his hand in a gesture for the group to follow him through the facility. “Anyone else?”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,063	1,536	29	1,409	1,959	Agatha SmithDEPOT STATION, NEW ANCHORAGE "Sir." Agatha's head turned mechanically towards Graham. In contrast to her aroused neighbor, she viewed Graham with a level of heightened curiosity and respect. Being formerly an independent NC pilot, Agatha was familiar enough with working under a cornucopia of commanders whose skill and leadership ability could fit on a sliding scale from Suicidal Incompetence to Future Emperor of the New World Order. Regardless of who she worked under, it was expected and appreciated if she could be respectful until she had seen them act under pressure. Being cocksure and dismissive under a good commander reflected poorly upon yourself, while slighting a bad commander would find your life at risk in retribution. Furthermore, this wasn't the first time she had encountered Graham. Even with thirty years of history separating their first and last encounter, she wouldn't forget that final battle In her old career. His skill behind an NC was beyond reproach, but she couldn't judge him as a leader of people just yet. Just as she had to prove herself to him, even in her desperation she had to gauge the man who effectively owned her. "What would you consider an unacceptable action during an operation or on base? What lengths are you willing to go to achieve New Anchorage's goals and your own?" Would they partake in the slave trade? Raid bountiful settlements for resources? Sell there services to fight in corporate proxy wars? She didn't have an personal issue with the actions, but knowing the lengths their commander would go was a good judge of his character for Agatha.	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,064	1,536	30	923	5,303	GRAHAMDEPOT STATION, NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON Graham nearly smirked. After all this time she still was as aggressive as ever yet with enough wit to know how to phrase the question without incident. It was interesting to him to see Agatha still had her “edge” despite retiring to three decades of being a scrapper and scavenger over what she was actually good at. All those years ago with him being an upstart brat in an iron armor… did it make her quit being who she was? or was it simply the fact of her children? Either way, he was glad he had not demoted himself to such things – it made him know he was different, and perhaps greater than what was effectively a husk of what once was even if she tried to have the same bite as before. He wondered if she could pass his test? It would be interesting to see. Graham thought about this question often because it had been one that came up with valiant cries of morality that many people had shot at him in the past; cries he had rejected entirely. The first part of Agatha’s question was one that was often directed about how far was morally or ethically acceptable with things such as slavery, raiding, genocide, and so forth being accompanied with the conversation. While Graham viewed all of those things as bad he didn’t think so for the same reasons as his peers. It brought him back to a talk he had with the second member of the trinity back when he was still just a simple NC pilot... it had been after the Elysian War. “That is a very large question.” He stated as he stepped outside to the white fuzz of a “mild” snowstorm before turning his head. “This obviously goes beyond simple insubordination and circumnavigation of authority or regulations.” “Let me make something abundantly clear to all of you. I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality. I will tell you that I will do everything in my power that I can to make New Anchorage efficient with no empathy for fantasies of my officers. There is no place for it in my organization. None.” He took a light breath, the cold air leaving his lips. “If it requires me to be “unfair” than I will do it. If that scares you… then resign right here and now, and take your tail between your legs and get the hell out of my base. I refuse to have pilots who get a little queasy around decision and shake when the cards are drawn.” His brows narrowed as his turned head looked over the group in their entirety. “So what of it? Are any of you rabble not worth your spit? Are any of you unable? Tell me now.”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,065	1,536	31	1,372	1,641	Joshua Ray, himself, was taken aback by the qualities Graham just presented. He wants to reward... goodness? He wants to sponsor and foster better people? Not monsters? Not slave-soldiers? A mild surprise, this was. "So... you're saying, what are you saying?", he mumbled out, before saluting and speaking up, his knees like jelly. He hated having to speak in crowds but god dammit, he had principles and he wanted to make sure he wouldn't have to break them. Of course... "Sir, does... 'Honor' have a place in your.. uhh, 'order', sir?, He straightened up a bit more, and breathed a few breaths a tad heavier before calming down about having to talk in front of so many people. For his standards, anyway. "We're.. not going to act like a secret police force, or, needlessly kill people, or...-, he paused a bit, looking at Graham but avoiding his eyes in fear, "I'm not going to have to go into a quaint little town somewhere in the middle of the night and terrorize innocent people over a damn percentage, r-right?" He went a bit quiet and looked away, shrinking like a kid who got into the cookie jar and was caught with red, crumby hands. "Uhhm... uhh.. if We're not gonna do that I won't complain. I'm fine with.. y'know... uhh...--", he took a step back, mumbling once more, "Lesser evils for the metaphorical greater good."	Joshua Ray Appearance Joshua Ray is a twenty-seven year old young man with brown eyes, long black hair in a pony-tail, and a somewhat lanky frame. He stands about six feet tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. While he is somewhat squishy, he isn't weak in terms of strength. His skin is notably pale for a 'Surface-Dweller' due to his sheltered upbringing, and he carries himself as if he doesn't want to make a scene at most times. Age 27 Role Joshua Ray fits into both a 'Heavily-armored heavy weapons specialist' and 'High mobility demolitions' role. Due to this, his NC can fit both. Personality Joshua Ray is a kind, optimistic young man with fire and hope in his eyes, possessed by a desire to make the world a better place and wander around. That's what he'd be doing if he had any say in the matter, but a man with an NC has to eat. He dislikes doing extremely 'dirty' operations, yet is just fine being a more cunning or surreptitious sort. He's not one to talk often, but he does appreciate company, as long as they're also of the more silent type. He's easily noted for his somewhat deadpan, snarky humor and mild self-deprecating tendencies, yet maintaining a fairly friendly demeanor. However, for all of his love of justice and morality, he's a bit of a coward. Backstory Joshua Ray grew up in one of the many scattered surface settlements, in a still somewhat irradiated, yet peaceful area in one of outlying Denver-Vegas territories. Living a somewhat sheltered life, he developed a love of reading pre-war and modern stories, documents, and religious writings, not to mention a strong sense of righteousness and morality that stands with him to this day. When he was of age, he began wandering the world with his own two feet, going from continent to continent by salvaged boat or independent aerial transporters. Doing odd-jobs as needed around the world, he never lost his thirst for justice nor his hope to play a part in creating a better future for all of mankind. One day while working in a medical facility, what appeared to be an error in some minor group or another's "Neural-Combatant Compatibility" detection hardware revealed that he had the necessary mental or psychological asset that gave him the capability to control one. Calling in favors with friends and extended family, he soon found himself controlling a custom-built lightweight NC known as the Apollo, after an absolutely ancient group or project that apparently resulted in men landing on the moon overhead. While originally built from scrap at a junkyard and using hand-me-down Neural Nets and software, over three years the Apollo turned into the heavily armed and armored beast it is today. Eventually, however, he accepted all the independent contracts that he was any interested in, and decided to finally fall into a larger group. Going from one corporate army to another, he now waits to see if New Anchorage wants him or not. Tactical Preference & Skills Ray is highly adept at high-speed pursuit and maneuvering, managing heavy weapons, and bracing/fidgeting before impact to reduce the lethality of enemy attacks. His best skill, however, is his ability to determine the situation he's in and the safest way out if need be. Notes Joshua Ray's favorite pastimes include star-gazing, reading ancient and modern documents and stories, and finally contemplating with others about the universe and humanity's place. Not to mention video games. Text Color ff4c4c Apollo 'Heavy' AppearanceThe red Apollo 'Heavy' is a somewhat bulky heavily armored unit with many reaction control verniers and weapon mountings. While a thicker example of an NC, it is still a fairly sleek and well-rounded unit, armor able to render most non-specialist weapons fairly useless. Body & Type The Apollo is a heavily armed and armored bipedal type, with additional jets compared to most other heavy NC's, giving it a decent amount of maneuverability for its weight class. Although, it's still not particularly quick in a straight line. The NC itself stands at a mighty 26 meters, towering over medium weights and lightweights, although just a bit on the short side for fellow heavies. Equipment & Armaments The Apollo 'Heavy' is very well armed, with weapons and equipment including: One right-handed custom-built heavy particle rifle, firing deadly globs of hydrogen based plasma. It has a very high rate of fire for a weapon of its class and individual shot-strength, and has additional heatsinks compared to your standard plasma weapon. Due to these qualities, it's a very good suppression and anti-NC weapon, although its long range abilities are moot, and it can only reasonably fire when the NC is maneuvering slower. Made out of a combination of Paragon, Volkov, and Magen parts. Six 1 meter diameter missile racks on the back 'wings', these can take many types of warheads and missile bodies, although Ray usually loads them with long-range anti-armor missiles. 1 Heavy siege-shield, fitted with heat-resistant coating and sharpened to the point it can be used similar to a 'Pile-bunker' gauntlet. Fitted on the left arm with a gauntlet, leaving the hand free. 1 left-handed kinetic sniper rifle with a belt-feed. Based using Denver-Vegas parts, this rifle has a very long operational range and can easily damage most NC's and slow, armored targets like bunkers or naval ships. 2 hip-mounted Thermal Cleavers, each with a pointed tip, allowing them to slash and stab with equal ability. They are generally folded up like a butterfly knife on each hip, unless in use. One is as long as the NC's arm, and the other is about half as long, similar to a Katana and Wakizashi pair, although the blades are straight and less fancy. The Apollo is also equipped with an array of chaff-launchers, fitted with four charges of a special type of chaff that interferes with infrared and RADAR targeted weapons, while also reducing the capability of laser or particle arms. Finally, all of the units' ammunition is stored on a large backpack right beneath the units' thruster 'wings', with two feeds connecting to the Apollo's plasma caster and sniper-rifle, pumping hydrogen and sending large caliber bullets respectively. Fuel is stored inside tanks within the Apollo's legs and the sides of the chest. Unique Feature In an emergency, the heavy armor plating, extraneous thrusters and power-routing cables powering them can be ejected by the heavy clamps and occasional electromagnets that hold them in place. This results in the Apollo 'Heavy' effectively turning into the Apollo 'Light', with changed features below. Apollo 'Light' Appearance The Apollo Light is a thinly armored NC that is in all actuality just the frame for a much larger one, yet able to act independently. Standing two meters lower than its original form, the Apollo-Light is still taller then most average NC's, yet less so. The Apollo Heavy's shield divides in two at the middle, and combines with the now armorless wing-portion to form two large 'binders' on the backside. The motions of these in flight can severely enhance the rotational and maneuverability based capabilities of the NC. Body & Type The Apollo-Light is nearly armorless in comparison to the Heavy form, but the power generator, now having to feed a smaller amount of turbojets maneuvering a lighter NC, can overdrive the aforementioned for even more speed. Of course, the now 'needlessly heavy' systems installed do weigh it down to the point it's not as fast as it could be if optimized. Equipment & Armaments Much less heavily armed compared to the Apollo 'Heavy', the inner frame of which is only armed with its sniper rifle and plasma-caster, but its ammunition backpack is still in place, alongside its shield, although technically. Of course, with the armorless wings being able to move, they can still assist in defense. Theoretically, if need be, the connection ports powering the other weapons can send electrical arcs through the air like a tesla-coil, but Ray never tried that before in mild fear. Notes Compared to the 'Heavy form', the 'Light' Apollo is much more worthy as a scout or any other position that requires stealth, with a boxier and thinner design. If needed, it could be outfitted with RADAR-absorbent coating and act as reconnaissance unit.
56,066	1,536	32	923	5,303	GRAHAMDEPOT STATION (EXTERIOR), NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON Graham’s eyes looked to Joshua’s direction, a fire still inside of the commander for all to see. Though, Joshua’s demeanor and phrasing didn’t offend him he decided to not berate him immediately— there was no point in ostracizing his pilots who might stay on with their contract, after all. The question of honor was one less so about morality but ethics; which was a thing Graham did slightly align with considering he believed he was an “ethical” soldier. All of the problems and horrors that came with the type of people that he mentioned were worthless as per Graham’s ideology due to the fact that they disallowed people to be the best they could aspire to be; they were given no opportunities and were forced to succumb to it. At the very least Graham was giving opportunity and he was giving choice, even if it was a bit of an abrasive and despot-like way to do so. But Graham had dealt with real slavers and knew no intelligent individual could paint him as such. “If what you are asking is if I am going to turn this unit into a bunch of rapists, slavers, raiders, and thieves then the answer is most definitely not. While my perspective might be different on why I can tell you directly that no is the answer to that question.” He turned his look to the others that were listening. “You are becoming soliders. You are no longer children in an iron giant and will be treated like such. I may not offer the kindest or easiest approach, but find me an operation that does that still exists. You won't. The idea of freedom and easy life that a lot of people cling onto is a twenty-second century ideal; people need to wake up and unfortunately remember that they are in the twenty-seventh century. Trust me, I grew up in a megacity, I know the shadow of the corporation... the real corporation.”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,067	1,536	33	1,365	7,516	ALEXANDER SKYLOCATION, NEW ANCHORAGE Alexander's initial reaction on hearing Graham's words was feeling as though he had been stabbed with an icicle. Infatuation was forgotten as the twenty-four year old tried to muster a response to Graham's words; leaving was out of the question; he would not dare show weakness to this 'man of stone'. Despite having a high sense of morality, Alexander knew this, that he can now appreciate the struggles and motivations of others, regardless of whether he agreed with them or not. So he would wait, wait to see how others responded. But he would think this: The root of our 'morality' is the desire to live a better life than our parents have, and for our own offspring to live a better life than we have. Can your 'Order' provide that, Michael Graham? When Ray spoke up, asking Graham for further clarification, Alexander made to put his hand on the other NC Pilot's shoulder in a gesture meant to be encouraging, when Graham spoke up, offering an affirmative answer, genuine admiration flowed through the young pilot's veins, along with a new insight into the man. He couldn't help but smile, despite the risks it carried. The next thing Alexander knew, he was giving a slight bow, before getting up, making eye contact, and saying: "Sir, this is all I can ask for; thank you." It took a lot out of Alexander to say those words, and one can see that. "I can't wait to see what kind of world you create," more words blurted out. Morality will never stop being my dream; Good and Evil, those do exist - I believe that. But part of being a good person is understanding and even working with, or in this case, following, people who believe other things than yours'. And, Michael Graham, you are that person.	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,068	1,536	34	716	5,223	Graham was pretty much everything her grandfather described him as. Stoic, with a machine like approach to duty and practice, and ironcast to his philosophical belief. It was admirable but very familiar, being a local girl, Penny had grown up around men and women like this her entire life. This part of Alaska breeds this sort of attitude. Listening to the other pilots ask questions was fascinating, like watching an impromptu interview take place in front of her very eyes, she noticed that while visibly intimidated that the commander Joshua Ray was firmly sticking to his morals about not committing senseless crimes, which Penny could respect at least. But her stance was different, Penny had no problem killing people, seeing vicious atrocities across the globe in her media career had made her quite desensitized to mindless violence, and while not a sadist herself, she would be happy to follow violent orders. Her only real empathy is for the people of Smith's Rest where she considers her home and her community. Her family instilled it in her to protect it at all costs, which includes killing people from other areas and factions. Her mind was made up. But she was still curious about something. Sir, I've lived in my Smith's Rest my entire life and my family helped build the colony when it was founded. I love being here, but will our missions allow us to travel the world? I want to learn as much about the other factions and civilizations as possible,for the greater good of protecting my home here. She glanced around the room after she spoke, getting a quick peek at Tahlia before returning her attention to Graham.	Name: Penelope 'Penny' Maverick Age: 23 Role: Sharpshooter/Sniper Personality: Penny is a spunky and inquisitive type who is endlessly curious about people and events and is know to ask a lot of (somtimes too many) questions. She is also fiercely savvy at public relations especially when it comes to corporate types. Backstory: Daniel Maverick, Penny's grandfather was one of the settlers who helped build Smith's Rest as he was stationed in Alaska during the time. Because of this, Penny's Father Jacques always made sure his daughter was very aware and proud of the Maverick name as he felt Smith's rest was a part of the families history. But Penny grew up curious about the world outside of Smith's Rest and became a journalist at age 17 using her media work to travel the world and to learn more about the current world situation following the Elysian war. After making a healthy profit selling high interest stories to the news divisions of corporation owned websites she used all of the money to buy a salvaged NC and formal pilot training as she felt that this was the next step to learning more about the world. She didn't have to think twice when learning about Graham's recruitment and signed up instantly. Tactical Preference & Skills: Penny chose an NC which would allow her to take more time to fire her shots and not get caught in the chaos of the melee as her reflexes arent particularly fast. So sniping came fairly easy to her, but she was cautious enough to train in the use of the Gatling gun for mid range combat to keep enemies off of her who try to close the distance. She typically likes to fly to high vantage points and fire high damage shots at unsuspecting enemies from a distance. Notes: She has an addiction to energy drinks that she would never admit to. Text Color: color=fff200 or Yellow THE VANGUARD SAINT Codename: 'The VanGuard Saint' Interceptor-2638 Model MkII Appearance : Body & Type: Bipedal Flyer-Type Equipment & Armaments : Right Hand: High Power Dual Purpose 'Avenger-Longshot' Rifle (Doubles as High Power Sniper and a Flamethrower for closer range) Left Hand: 'Chewing' High Velocity Gatling Gun with single use heat laser. Left Shoulder: Standard EMP Launcher (For disrupting enemy units.) Body: Heavy Armor Plating and Powerful Jet Pack Flight System No real Melee capabilities, and slow PvP reflexes.
56,069	1,536	35	1,700	2,624	T A H L I A S T Y L E S Mess Hall - New Anchorage Tahlia walked with the others, through the snow, the wind and the cold. She listening intently to some of the questions that were raised by her fellow fighters but chose to remain quiet for the time being. Until a mission was given to her she had no reason to question the authority of a man, such a Graham. A man that seemed to have a vision, a plan, and knew exactly what he expected of each 'soldier'... but the mention of 'Honour' was something she found as an odd choice of words from individual known as Joshua Ray. To look for honour meant that you were on the same path to become a hero. It means that that you are hoping to be idolised, admired, and expected to perform in such a way as to appease everyone. A path that Tahlia had no interest in. Under Red Star's command Tahlia was instructed not to make contact with any outsiders that wished to know more about her and her division, in turn the Corporation would not publish her post mission debriefings in any public archives. The publicity flared up when her team managed to force a retreat on a small army of NC fighters that was looking to raid Broken Hill for it's mineral resources. Mountains of steel ore held away in storage for the higher ups to use in their NC production lines, and every known reporter was hunting for Tahlia like vultures around a carcass. From Ruby Rhod to Jimmy Olsen, Penny Maverick to Brick Tamland, they all wanted to break the news first about Tahlia's tactics and skills. The only problem was that her success on that mission had nothing to do with skill, it was pure luck. Tahlia had managed to fool her enemy with a bluff. The enemy believed she had a small force of fifteen to twenty plus NCs, they thought she had grouped ambushes behind ridges, inside buildings, hidden under the earth. The truth to this was much more interesting. Tahlia only had command of five support NCs and a bucket load of dummy radio transmitters. It was a bluff of the most dangerous and risky kind, pushing her team and workers back at base to the very edge of insanity and exhaustion. In order to make her foe believe her force was greater than what it truly was she ordered her support NCs to return to base one by one during their fight where instead of being reloaded with Ammo, the NC's weaponry was swapped out with pre-loaded gear; all while a man that got the daily nickname of Van Gough, repainted the markings on the NC giving them a new look and call sign. It was extremely harsh on her team. She lost one man due to the phantom pain he endured by constantly entering a new load out. In the end the foe never believed once for a moment that the NC they were fighting earlier was the same NC coming back to re-battle them; that the scanned force of NCs hidden behind ridges unloading an entire payload was actually a one man team; that Tahlia's job was not to engage the enemy but instead to fire between the forces and prevent the foe from getting too close to discover her dirty little trick. "Honour?..." she scoffed quietly at Joshua's remark, knowing that if she was to tell a reporter about her so called victory that day, it would have meant the end of Broken Hill. "You must be a kangaroo loose in the top paddock if you want to become some sorta 'secret police force superhero' or sumthing fucked up like that." Tahlia made an effort to include finger quotes around 'secret police force superhero' just to emphasise how stupid the phrase was. "If that's what you wanna become then you can rack off now before you get us all killed with your self inflated egos." Tahlia turned towards Graham, noting his position of power, "Sir. Permission to be excused for my outburst. Haven't had a decent sleep in a long time and some of these... children," she glared at Alex with her tired eyes, "have been treating the tram like nursery pen." She reached into her pocket to pull out a cigarette, slipping it into her mouth before lighting the tip. "Oh, and I have no questions for you, sir," she spoke in a muffled voice.	Name: Jan van Gent Appearance:Jan stands at 1.65 meters tall. He has fair skin, dark-blonde hair styled shortly and combed to the side. He has little standards concerning the clothes he wears, usually wearing whatever he managed to get on the cheap from a clothes vendor. The only criterium to him is that something needs to be functional. It doesn't need to be pretty or graceful, it just needs to work. Age: 27 Role: Flanking/ counter-CQC Personality :A rash and boorish man by nature. Jan is a spirited individual with a somewhat cruel streak to his actions. He doesn't particularly mind if other people are served by his actions, but is ultimately mostly in it for himself. Despite this though, he places great value on loyalty and mutual respect, even if it is for the slightly pragmatic reason that a long-time partner is the best partner. Backstory: A storied and grizzled independent. Jan van Gent was never part of the big five, instead operating with all sorts of factions all over the world as a mercenary contractor. He has probably fought with and against every major player on the current global stage, switching allegiances in quieter periods when hsi current employer's funds dried up, though always taking care not to antagonize anyone enough to draw the wrong sort of attention. A recent stint as a volkov subcontractor saw Jan assigned to New Anchorage. Political machinations above his control then saw volkvov retract their support, with jan's contract being terminated in the fallout. Jan simply shrugged and renegotiated a direct contract with New Anchorage's commander. Just another day on the job. Tactical Preference & Skills: Jan has great proficiency and experience at spotting and exploiting oppurtunities in a tactical situation. He has very good aim with all equipped weapons even at high speeds. He can concentrate on whatever his current target is without anything feasibly breaking his stride, though he is suspectible to a sort of tactical tunnel vision as well. Notes: Jan returns from the previous thread. Text Color: None due to player bias/laziness NC Codename: Goldenspur Appearance: The goldenspur is a grizzled mercenary machine, much like its pilot. Its frame is painted a muted black with gold details. While standing upright, its silhoutte is very visible due to its signature custom-built shoulder plates, somewhat resembling the skeletal wings of the winged hussar cavalry of old. These shoulder plates are folded over the NC's backside when in standby, but stretch to their full impressive length when shoulder weapons are deployed. Body & Type: A medium-class tank body. Original manufacturer is difficult to determine due to the amount of disparate custom parts mixed and matched to create the NC. Armor plating has been stripped and replaced with ligther variants on all sides save for the front to allow for greater manouverability. The NC has the unusual ability to fold downwards into a threaded tank-vehicle designed for speed and getaways. Equipment & Armaments: Goldenspur's main armament is a high-power plasma lance designed to punch through heavy armor and inflict catastrphic damage on internal systems. It requires a long pre-charge time and consumes most of the reactor's energy output when fired, also requiring a cooldown period afterwards. The goldenspur has two standard grade gimballed autoguns mounted on its shoulders. Energy consumption on them is low, and the caliber is sufficient to deal with most non-NC targets as well as posing a threat to NCs with lighter armor. In terms of defensive measures, the goldenspur has a standardized ECM array to deal with fire and forget missiles, a radar dampening coating on its armor, and a set of smoke launchers to disrupt visual contact. The smoke has a peculiar chemical composition that disperses lasers fired through it.
56,070	1,536	36	923	5,303	STATION (EXTERIOR), NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON No questions, but having plenty to say it seemed. Tahlia Styles was the kind of roughneck fighter he needed on his squad and even with her nonchalant bluntness it might’ve been a good thing to have around— and she knew protocol, which is more than he could say for some of the members of his group. Red-Star had done well with this one. It was interesting to see how different the two former Red-Star employs were despite both following protocol to Graham; it was as if one was fully confident and comfortable in who they were while the other was mincing his words to save face. But then again if his battles were anything to judge he wasn’t perfect in judging character off first impressions. But his gut definitely told him a story about Alexander and Tahlia, and given what he had read in their dossiers it seemed some math wasn’t adding up where it should have. “It’s fine, Styles.” He began before his eyes drifted to the reporter who had some experience of her own to note. “As for your question, Maverick— I’ve been looking at a databook of various options to begin our operations. You could be in the American Northwest for some time or you could end up doing a contracted job for Magen in the Middle East or Paragon in Central Europe. There are a lot of things to consider but I’m not ruling anything out.” With that answer out of the way he looked to Jingo and the Horowitz kid. “Unless someone else has another inquiry, I believe we can get out of this snow and inside to the main facility?” With little objections to his ultimatum of shaping up or leaving aside, Graham reached to his belt and withdrew a synthetic cigarette from a pack before striking it on the flint casing of the belt’s compartment before placing it in his mouth. If there were no more questions he would lead the group into the main part of the base— he had two more stops before he unveiled something that would either make or break the group.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,071	1,536	37	923	5,303	JOHN "JINGO" STRANGEDEPOT STATION, NEW ANCHORAGE Jingo was itching to get on the move, he had not disembarked from a four day train ride just to wait on a platform as people flouted questions at a man that frankly didn't appeal to him. He hopped from foot to foot in agitation, being careful not to step on Skitters - who took the moment to lie down and recharge his batteries, vibrating gently as dynamos whirred happily in his torso. His mind cast back to earlier days, when he first came to what was then Smith's Rest. It was a different time that much was for sure, the base was nothing but a collection of barracks like building and a hanger or two, but looking around him he was impressed by the amount of headway that had been done. Or maybe he just missed all of it. Jingo returned his attention to Graham, he gave him a narrowed eyed stare with his good eye before speaking. "Wit all due respect Commander, te only Oi care about is meeting te old crew. He began, "Ar all o' tem still around?" He winced a little after he was done speaking, he hadn't realized how strong his accent had gotten until then. Before returning to Falcon reach it had all but disappeared after years of living in Alaska, but the moment he got back it returned to him as if it had never left and now he found that it was even harder to shrug off then it was before.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,072	1,536	38	1,365	7,516	ALEXANDER SKYLOCATION, NEW ANCHORAGE Alexander's heart dropped; even in his time laying low, he had heard of Jan and Stein; two of the best known pilots in recent history. They were in New Anchorage?! How should he react? They were known to be very good pilots - possibly better than him, and with their own reasons to dislike him for being Red-Star. Especially as he had heard that Jan Van Gent had killed Fubuki, one of the 'solo players' of Red-Star. Did Jan hate all Red-Star and Fairbanks pilots, or was it just a few? As for Stein, she was frightening too - killing at ten?! He wasn't worthy, and Graham, Graham or the Former Commander must have had a magnetic personality if they were able to attract them to their side. This was, this was overwhelming. As he followed Graham through the corridors, he tried to steady himself, and noticed that Graham, once more, had established a deeper grip into his mind, not one that would blind him - he was sure that even Graham didn't want blind obedience, but, well, it was one that made Alexander see the man as someone who can get him what he wanted - a life better than what he had before, a life for any children he had or might adopt that was better than what their parents had before, and a world that is slightly better than the present. Also, one last thing; they were rumored to be, well, very handsome and beautiful, especially Stein. Yes, his thoughts had turned towards that direction. Tahlia was right; you're a child, the rational part of Alexander murmured to him. But you'll grow up; like Graham said, you're no longer a child in an Iron Giant. "No, I'm no longer a child in an Iron Giant," he whispered to himself. Graham had seriously impressed Alexander with that speech, showing that he was more than your typical despot. Disagree with him about Morality all you like, fact was still that when people like him spoke of honor and integrity, he listened.	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,073	1,536	39	923	5,303	HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON It had been several minutes since Graham showed up in the depot to grab the new recruits to escort them to the Mess Hall. With all of the curiosities he had answered it had taken him marginally longer than he had initially predicted, which wasn’t bad in itself and he did not want to interrupt his known pilot’s lunch too early considering what was ahead. As the group of pilots followed him into the Mess Hall Graham’s eyes met with the exhausted, or bored, visage of Command Officer Jon Ignan who he had assigned the task of recording the NC pilot attendance. Whilst he obviously respected Graham by the way he stood up from his seat it was dead obvious that he didn’t want to be in the Mess Hall for some reason. “Ignan.” The dark-haired commander spoke clearly. “Commander.” Ignan replied as the stoic young man eyed the rest of the pilots with an air that gave off the impression he was decidedly unimpressed. Following his glance he then handed over the datapad that he held in his hands to Graham. As he did this, Graham could feel something was off when Ignan shot a glance to one of the pilots, Jan Van Gent, and when he read the datapad himself he saw why. Damn it, Van Gent. Whilst Graham didn’t show an expression of irritated, he wasn’t too thrilled one of his current NC pilots didn’t know what the idea of “be on time” meant. It would be something he would have to make sure he knew in due time and even though Jan Van Gent came from an independent background he knew he had experience where schedules were important; but maybe he didn't think a mandatory lunch was important enough to set a proper schedule for. Whilst Graham did agree that it did seem pointless without the proper information, taking orders without information was kind of in the job description. He took a light breath as he handed the datapad back to the command officer. ”Very well. You are dismissed, Ignan.” “Many thanks, commander.” “Pilots—” Graham stated with authority before he removed his cigarette, clearing his throat. “—If you could join my little tour, I have an announcement that concerns you all as well. Yes, even you Van Gent. But before we head off, feel free to introduce yourselves to the new blood to get that out of the way if you could?” The blonde-haired twenty year old had sprung to attention first-most, but that was probably was one of the things Graham had gotten to expect— even with Dr. Lofgren’s report that suggested something was up with Stein’s neural readings. But he figured that would have his bases covered with that fairly soon. “Stein Kalfox. I pilot Unit 06, The Little Dragon. Previously I was a pilot for the Volkov Corporation’s Seattle branch from 2667 to 2677. I look forward to seeing how you fare in battle.”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,074	1,536	40	1,365	7,516	Jan had been in a passive-agressive staring contest with ignan ever since he had gotten to the mess hall. Something about the man rubbed Jan the wrong way, his demeanour reminded him of the stereotypical obstructive petty officers he had worked with on previous contracts. Still, Jan stood at attention towards Graham all the same, Igran he could annoy all he want, but Graham was the one signing his paycheck. He sighed when the commander gave him that "you're doing disciplinary chores later" look he knew all too well. On the flipside, if he ever retired as an NC pilot, he had enoug experience to start his own dishwashing business. He glanced over the new recruits, one of them seemed to be trembling in his boots for some reason. "Van gent... welcome to the club. If you know what you're doing we'll get along fine. If not well... I'll chip in for a nice gravestone for you." He stared at the scared looking recruit with dead-serious eyes. Waiting to see whether the kid had a sense of humor in him.	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,075	1,536	41	1,524	552	ELI and VERAMess Hall , New Anchorage No sooner did Commander Graham enter the mess hall with the recruits in tow, did Eli bolt upright, yanking her hood back from her head and coming to a rigid salute. Her attention went to him — the "new blood" more periphery than anything— as he settled his business with who she could only imagine was some form of glorified secretary. Beside her, she heard Vera scramble into the same uniform attention, and Eli might have smiled with pride had she the will to break formation. At least she wasn't alone, Stein reliably went to attention, as did Van Gent of all people, so at the very least they wouldn't be coming off as sloppy or unorganized. Graham asked for their introductions, and Eli did not pull the hand from her head, but she did glance over the unfamiliar faces. A range of ages, from those who looked young as herself, to the middle ground where she figured Percy and Jan stood, to the...well, she'd spent too much time around her mother to have low expectations of the elderly, so she went with considering the aged woman as "weathered". Then of course there was the familiar face of John Strange, one she did not expect to see again, but was inwardly relieved nonetheless, since she at least knew he could pilot well. Ana spoke out of turn not too far from them, and though Eli could feel no disappointment in her, she felt a swell of pride for Vera. The two had gone over regulation numerous times, especially regarding what was and absolutely was not acceptable in front of Commander Graham. Beside her, the younger girl was quiet as the grave, ushanka pulled down and held behind her back with the stern, alert expression Eli had taught her. No smiling, no laughing, no breaking. A quiet honesty in the back of her mind mourned the loss of Vera's joviality, even if it was only temporary, but it was a necesasry sacrafice to ensure she was not seen as a nuisance. When it was her turn, Eli stepped forward, tugging the scarf down just enough so as not to muffle her voice, though it still remained high up her chin. ”I pilot Unit 03, Blur. My name is Eli, and this,” she gestured to Vera, who remained still as a statue. ”Is my assistant, Vera Voloshyna.” For a moment, brief as it was, Eli silently scanned across the recruits, meeting cold, harsh eyes with any that she could, as if a dare to question Vera's presence, or her status. A preemptive indignance grew within her, something she knew later she'd feel guilty over, but she would not be doubted by recruits, she would not be doubted by anyone without the authority to act on their doubts. Then, fluidly as if there had been no pause at all, she concluded. ”The people of New Anchorage are depending on us, do not let them down."	Elizabeth Jackspar Age 21 Role Melee Skirmisher Appearance A life dedicated to training has left Eli with a lean, athletic form. An albino, her skin is chalk-white, her long hair a similar color, and her eyes holding a glassy-blue hue. She has a hard gaze and straight posture, like a soldier constantly at attention. Despite this, she’s prone to wearing civilian clothes when things are quiet. Scarves strike her fancy, and she’ll often wear them high on her neck over her mouth, but she’s also prone to gloves and arm warmers. Personality Cold and dismissive to anyone that isn’t her superior, compliant and dutiful to all others with an underlying layer of competitiveness beneath everything. A quick, calculating mind and fast reflexes make Eli a good soldier, but little else unfortunately. In her early teenage years, Eli began suffering from severe and sudden panic attacks, often leaving her an unresponsive wreck. Not knowing how such incidents would affect her daughter's future, her mother went to great lengths to keep the affliction a secret from future potential employers. After a handful of years the attacks decreased in both frequency and intensity without professional assistance, which made concealing them much easier. Tactical Preference/Skills Eli excels in melee combat, preferring swords to firearms and speed to durability. While her specialty is quick execution, she can handle prolonged confrontations, especially against a single opponent. Background ”Eli” Eli was eight years old when she learned her name was short for “Elizabeth”. Her mother, the librarian recluse Celina Jackspar, had used it once, the first time she’d cried during her training. ”Get up, Elizabeth. Now. And never cry in front of me again.” And she never did. The Jackspars might have been lepers for how little they interacted with the world. Confined to a modestly sized library nestled in the corner of what was then “Smith’s Rest”, few ever visited, and fewer were actually aware the spindly, aged woman had a child. With little to their name aside from cases and piles of books, it would not have been unreasonable to assume the family would contribute nothing great to the world. Celina would not allow such an outcome. The training began early, and never slackened. Eli learned from a young age what she was, and would be. She did not attend school, she did not socialize with peers, she rarely left the library at all. Her life was dedication, she had to let go of the urges to want, and focus entirely on the future. ”Up.” And she got up. The Jackspars could afford no firearms, and so forewent practicing them. Instead it was decided that Eli would master the art of melee combat in their absence. Lyosha Voloshyna, a carpenter and one of the family’s only “friends”, happily supplied them with wooden models of various swords, ranging from the typical and familiar, to the foreign and unique. Eli was made to train with them day in and day out. They would not be weapons held, they would be extensions of her own body, or she would fall short. Countless other prospective pilots had the advantage of proper training, they could afford to be merely “adequate” so long as they rounded out a checklist and passed the neural exam. ”I don’t want you on-par, I want you better. Keep going.” And she would. Hour after hour Eli practiced, submitting herself to the forms and tests of balance. By the time she was in her middle teens, picking up a sword felt like raising her hand, swinging felt like punching. Her threshold for pain was pushed further each day, and every time she kept her mouth shut, kept her face calm, she would catch the ghost of a smirk flicker over her mother’s face. Moving had become a dance, and she was the prima. When she was fifteen, a practice sword broke in her hand, splintering midway down the blade. It was old, nothing unexpected, and the shattering caused her no physical harm. All the same Eli froze, wide eyes fixated on the broken blade, and her arm, then the girl collapsed in a fit of agony. Celina watched, shocked. ”Get up.” But she didn’t. ”Elizabeth, get. Up.” But she couldn’t. It took all of her strength not to cry. It was her first major incident, and the only one Celina ever saw. It took a few years to realize they weren’t going to stop, and seeking professional psychiatric help would murder Eli’s chances at becoming a pilot, so Celina resolved to handle the situation in her own way. Eli knew Eli. Celina knew Elizabeth. ”Stop shaking.” And she would. The final years leading up to application were smooth by Celina’s standards. Her daughter was sharp, fast, resilient, and above all, obedient. She would protect Smith’s Rest, she would protect its people, and she would do so under the instruction of whosoever commanded the forces. Second to her, of course. ”Don’t disappoint me.” And she wouldn’t. -Helped defeat Knight and Rook alongside Percy Moore, Madison Cole, John Strange, and Joe Verona -Took on her younger sister, Vera, as an “assistant” -Bonded with the previous commander, Sophia -Suffered a gruesome defeat at the first assault on Smith’s Rest -Shaken by Sophia’s desertion Text Color: color=6ecff6 Example. Blur :Body-Plan: Blur is a humanoid, bipedal NC, designed to move and strike quickly. Its armor is lacking, but a myriad of thrusters allow not only for fast evasive maneuvers, but also for gap-closing on enemies. :Type/Quality: Blur is designed to be an up-close-and-personal NC, meant to close in on key targets before engaging in a melee assault. In this, Blur excels, and should the enemy be unequipped for close-range combat, they may have trouble. However range is her crux, and while Blur is good at evading enemy fire, should one corner her from far enough away, there is little she can do to get out of the situation. Though Eli would never admit it, Blur works best with, and sometimes even requires a team. :Equipment: -Sets of thrusters allowing for enhanced mobility and sustained flight. -Flare caches for more difficult evasive maneuvers. -Targeting system designed to track a single enemy and suggest/allocate NC power to close the distance in the quickest/most effective manner. Suggestions are automatic, control/execution is manual. :Armaments: -Standard-Issue NC Beam Sword -PPB-2.71 “Plasma Sword” (Purchased) -Deployable “Finger-Claws” (New-Anchorage Custom) -Set of demolition charges sized for NC's. The charges are kept as two separate components that are combined individually in their storage to become armed as needed, so as to avoid detonation from trauma to the housing NC. --- Vera Voloshyna (Left, Ana Moore. Right, Vera Voloshyna) Age 13 Appearance Vera’s short, her blonde hair equally so, and her eyes are vibrant, lively green. She’s taken to dressing like Eli in some cases, with scarves and hoodies and the like, and generally has smudges of dirt or oil on her face. One of her front teeth bears a chip to it. Personality Vera is both easily excitable and hard to bring down. The girl almost always has a smile on her face whether something fun is happening or not, and tends to be more on the gullible side. Background Vera’s parents were at Smith’s Rest long before she was born. Her mother was a doctor, and as Vera understands it she helped Ms. Jackspar deliver her daughter not long after their arrival, and it wasn’t until more than a decade later that she herself was born. Their families grew close, and Ms. Jackspar took on a completely different, warmer persona around the Voloshynas. When Vera was two, she spent much of her time being babysat by them, when she was five, she had managed to befriend Ms. Jackspar’s daughter, Elizabeth. When she was six, her parents vanished. The family had received threats multiple times over the course of their stay from residents none too fond of the Russian Volkov Security. The Voloshyna’s tried in vain to explain they held no part in the company’s actions, but when at last the threats turned to violence, they had no choice. The letters never addressed their daughter, perhaps because she spent so much time with the Jackspars it was assumed she was just another one of them. Regardless, when Vera’s parents fled they took the opportunity to leave her in the care of their friend, who agreed without complaint or protest. The girl did the rest of her growing up around Elizabeth, and the two grew incredibly close. She did not receive the same harsh training as Elizabeth but Ms. Jackspar did teach her a few tricks to keeping well in the settlement. -Due to an increasingly dangerous home environment, Celina sent her to "assist" Eli on-base. -Survived the assault on Smith's Rest Text Color: color=662d91 Example.
56,076	1,536	42	1,409	1,959	Agatha SmithMess Hall, New Anchorage It was with no miniscule amount of effort that Agatha refrained from snatching the cigarette's from out of Tahlia and Graham's lips. They had already had established preconceptions about her being an old codger, there was no reason to validate that concern by forcing her own beliefs upon them like a senile grandmother. That didn't mean she had to like it, and she had rather hoped that such an upright and stern commander wouldn't be so susceptible to lesser vices. Give it decade or two and he'd be paying the piper for imbibing in the weaknesses of the flesh. Arriving at the mess hall saw them introduced to the what remained of the old guard of New Anchorage. The first of there lot to introduce themselves being that of Stein Kalfox. Prompt, courteous, and with a good deal of experience under her belt. Agatha got the impression she was Ace of the pilots here If she was right, and on matters like this she usually was, then she could see herself spending a good deal of time training with the woman a third her age. Most of these types were usually prodigies who just had a talent for piloting, but more often then people think t were hard workers who had some traits worth emulating. Eli seemed a quiet sort with her apparent fondness for heavy garments and scarves. Generally they were reliable...or incredibly unstable. Given that she was here under Graham Agatha was leaning towards the former. She couldn't really get a read on Jan and Joe, on account of being distracted by the last two pilots, or to be precise, the children they had brought with them. Agatha had attempted to keep her features schooled, but at the moment anyone so inclined to look her way would see confusion evident. Anyone could take a cursory glance and see that this was not a civilian dining area unless New Anchorage had some very lax standards which had yet to be corrected under Graham's administration. More than that, these were pilots being followed around by children, one who was clearly the child of the pilot while the other seemed more like an orphan taken in or close friend. Didn't they realize how dangerous being a pilot, let alone a soldier, was? How easy it would be to leave their charges alone in the world, or worse, put them in harms way when someone eventually comes after this military installation? Word had reached her that New Anchorage had been attacked back when it was Smith's Rest, so they couldn't deny the very real possibility of being attacked again. Why would they take the risk? How could they live with themselves if they left them in harms way while they were gallivanting across the globe? Distant, hazy images of a sortie long since past. Towards the end of a life once lived and loved, there was a job. A group of independents based out of South America where on a job for Magen that saw the majority of their NCs deployed overseas towards the Middle East where Magen power was centralized. They were already in transit when word came through a competitor was going to sack their home in retribution for stealing the Magen job. Time wasn't on there side, and none of their own would have made it back in time, so they put out the call for aid. Agatha and her own outfit heard it and answered . They didn't need to bother. Time favored no one that day. Not a one. What she found that day was oh so much ash, black as tar and cascading like a light snowfall. The defenders had been desperate. The raiders had been ruthless. There wasn't a better recipe for a scorched earth scenario in Agatha's experience. Hell, what else could one say was the cause of the Nuclear Apocalypse? And amidst the ash and the ruins was a titan that had been laid low, huddled around some structure as though in a final act of desperation to shield something precious. The NC, she recalled was piloted by a charming bon vivant with cheeky sense of humor, wasn't even worth salvaging. Reduced to a molten pile of slag speckled with the drifting ash, it was a miserable sight. It wasn't till after the fact that Agatha had learned it had attempted to shield the civilian housing. The bitter irony was they had all been crushed by the NC trying to shield them. Graham may have thought he was the one who ended her career, but that ball had already started rolling a year prior. So when Eli swept across the new pilots, daring anyone to question the presence of a child among them, Agatha glared right back. She had made her choice to protect her family over her pride, and while she pines for her glory days she won't regret choosing to stay with them. Could Eli say she would be there when Vera needed her?	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,077	1,536	43	1,700	2,624	T A H L I A S T Y L E S Mess Hall - New Anchorage Tahlia held back for a brief moment just outside the door of the eatery. As much as she enjoyed the smell and taste of her cigarette she knew that not everyone would have the appreciate the smoke wafting around over their food. She placed the stick up to her lips and drew on the orange filter end, giving the tip a bright glow as her lungs filled with the healthy assortment of toxins and chemicals that was bound to kill her eventually, that was unless another NC killed her first. "Close enough," She spoke to herself as she pulled out the smoke, glancing at the fact that it still had about a centimetre of good tobacco left before it dead. She twisted it around in her fingers, placing it between her index and thumb before giving a flick out into the snow outside. The gentle hiss could be heard as it instantly extinguished itself on the cold landing. Tahlia turned and stepped through the doorway to see that the others had already started their greetings, Alex at the forefront introducing himself and getting extra friendly with the man who called himself as Percy, while some of the others were standing as ridgid as telegraph poles, saluting their superior. She knew that this wasn't going to be a full on military team, that their skills and view of order may be lacking, but the children that were accompanying their elders came as an eye opener to the Tahlia. One child, a girl with a name of Ana, was what looked like to be a child less than ten years old. She had much of the same appearance as Percy, her father, with red hair and freckles, only younger and more feminine. The other girl had the distinct name of Vera Voloshyna. She was older, maybe a teenager, and she had the typical European like appearance from what Tahlia was able to gather. Blonde hair, bright eyes and soft skin. She dressed and acted in a similar manner to the one known as Eli, a woman who appeared as pale as the snow outside. "Graham? I do have a question—" she injected, keeping her tone down as low as possible, purposely leaving out the 'sir' part, "Why do we have children, here, on a military base?" Tahlia knew this was not the sort of place that one would want to bring up 'a family'. What was the chances of these children seeing something they shouldn't? Had they already seen the horrors of what was to come from operating an NC?	Name: Jan van Gent Appearance:Jan stands at 1.65 meters tall. He has fair skin, dark-blonde hair styled shortly and combed to the side. He has little standards concerning the clothes he wears, usually wearing whatever he managed to get on the cheap from a clothes vendor. The only criterium to him is that something needs to be functional. It doesn't need to be pretty or graceful, it just needs to work. Age: 27 Role: Flanking/ counter-CQC Personality :A rash and boorish man by nature. Jan is a spirited individual with a somewhat cruel streak to his actions. He doesn't particularly mind if other people are served by his actions, but is ultimately mostly in it for himself. Despite this though, he places great value on loyalty and mutual respect, even if it is for the slightly pragmatic reason that a long-time partner is the best partner. Backstory: A storied and grizzled independent. Jan van Gent was never part of the big five, instead operating with all sorts of factions all over the world as a mercenary contractor. He has probably fought with and against every major player on the current global stage, switching allegiances in quieter periods when hsi current employer's funds dried up, though always taking care not to antagonize anyone enough to draw the wrong sort of attention. A recent stint as a volkov subcontractor saw Jan assigned to New Anchorage. Political machinations above his control then saw volkvov retract their support, with jan's contract being terminated in the fallout. Jan simply shrugged and renegotiated a direct contract with New Anchorage's commander. Just another day on the job. Tactical Preference & Skills: Jan has great proficiency and experience at spotting and exploiting oppurtunities in a tactical situation. He has very good aim with all equipped weapons even at high speeds. He can concentrate on whatever his current target is without anything feasibly breaking his stride, though he is suspectible to a sort of tactical tunnel vision as well. Notes: Jan returns from the previous thread. Text Color: None due to player bias/laziness NC Codename: Goldenspur Appearance: The goldenspur is a grizzled mercenary machine, much like its pilot. Its frame is painted a muted black with gold details. While standing upright, its silhoutte is very visible due to its signature custom-built shoulder plates, somewhat resembling the skeletal wings of the winged hussar cavalry of old. These shoulder plates are folded over the NC's backside when in standby, but stretch to their full impressive length when shoulder weapons are deployed. Body & Type: A medium-class tank body. Original manufacturer is difficult to determine due to the amount of disparate custom parts mixed and matched to create the NC. Armor plating has been stripped and replaced with ligther variants on all sides save for the front to allow for greater manouverability. The NC has the unusual ability to fold downwards into a threaded tank-vehicle designed for speed and getaways. Equipment & Armaments: Goldenspur's main armament is a high-power plasma lance designed to punch through heavy armor and inflict catastrphic damage on internal systems. It requires a long pre-charge time and consumes most of the reactor's energy output when fired, also requiring a cooldown period afterwards. The goldenspur has two standard grade gimballed autoguns mounted on its shoulders. Energy consumption on them is low, and the caliber is sufficient to deal with most non-NC targets as well as posing a threat to NCs with lighter armor. In terms of defensive measures, the goldenspur has a standardized ECM array to deal with fire and forget missiles, a radar dampening coating on its armor, and a set of smoke launchers to disrupt visual contact. The smoke has a peculiar chemical composition that disperses lasers fired through it.
56,078	1,536	44	923	5,303	HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE AROUND NOON How the hell did Red-Star allow this kind of soldier to even exist? Michael Graham couldn’t understand how Alexander Sky was even real— at least in their shared profession and similar backgrounds. Even in the years where Graham drove the battlefield with youthful abandon and had a love with flirting with everything he saw… especially after what happened following the Elysian War he was always mindful of his behavior when in the shadow of his betters. It did not surprise him that Red-Star possibly was going to dispose the young pilot when he outlived his usefulness. In the corner of his mind he wondered how he was going to tolerate his antics on-base. This was why he preferred certain personality types to others; give him an assortment of clones of Stein, Eli, Agatha, and Tahlia any day of the week. Not a bad idea. Note to self— hire a geneticist in the future if I can afford one. Graham’s thoughts seemed to go on as he looked at some of the other new pilots— Penny looked like she was thinking intently on something and Yeshua was… doing some obsessive compulsive motion with his hands as he seemed to be fully distracted to pay attention to the “older” pilots or even Graham. This was the son of Otto Horowitz? The ace of Paragon? This is his gene pool? He had never met Otto, but this was quite the surprise. The boy looked the part of a librarian, not a pilot. But then again Graham knew full well manners out of machine never exactly were ensured to be the same in the machine. At the very least he was sufficiently curious to how the eccentric and silent youth was going to turn out here at New Anchorage. Before he could consider any sort of introspection a voice spoke up— Tahlia’s. "Graham? I do have a question— why do we have children, here, on a military base?" To some it was the million dollar question and to others it was a fact of military life. It really depended on how you viewed children at the end of the day— and for Graham there was a multitude of reasons. He turned to look at Tahlia as he held the synth in-between his index and pointer finger on his right hand— smoke still fuming from the metal cylinder. “So I can test them for neural plug compatibility and see their value.” He commented nonchalantly before adding on to the statement. “They are civilian residents due to the fact that they have little alternatives to go to. Both wards have been deemed to be safer behind the walls of this base then in some sad excuse for an orphanage or alternative guardian— hell, Moore is the only guardian that little girl has. I’m not damning her to an orphanage when she has a father right there to lead by example; and Jackspar’s ward is applying for civilian employ.” “It’s also in both Moore and Jackspar’s contracts as incentive to stay on. So I guess there is a few reasons.” He said as he placed the synth back in his mouth.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,079	1,536	45	1,318	425	PERCY MOORE AND GRAHAMMESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE "So I can test them for neural plug compatibility and see their value.” Percy shot a look over to Graham, having a difficult time hiding the shock on his face. He did not just say that. He must have misheard. He must have. Graham didn't just suggest that he was possibly going to put Ana or Vera into an NC. Unless he did. If he did, he wouldn't allow that over his dead body. Graham would have to put Percy down before he ever allowed that to happen. He covered his mouth in an attempt to keep himself quiet so the commander could continue answering Tahlia's question, but just as Graham finished his statement, he couldn't keep it to himself anymore. "You're not putting my child in one of those things," Percy's voice was calm, but it held the serious, almost scolding tone that fathers just have. Graham looked sternly at the red-haired pilot. “Not at the moment, no. I am testing her for compatibility. Are you deaf, Moore? I would assume not, since you were taking Sky's ridiculous advancements like a girl at her first dance. What's the issue?” "The fact you're even testing her for that is concerning me." “It’s standard procedure; and by New Anchorage law she is old enough to make the decision.” Graham looked at Ana without considering Percy's feelings or thoughts on the matter. “Would you like to see if you have the ability to pilot a NC?” Ana looked down to the floor, not sure if she should really speak or not. Percy had told her to not speak to him if she could help it. She opened her mouth to give a "maybe," but Percy spoke first, "I don't care what the law says. She is my child. She is not piloting an NC." The pilot's couldn't keep his tone of voice level or keep himself from getting louder at this point. The first thought to come to Percy's mind was that Graham was acting absolutely insane; especially if he thought he was going to just sit and allow him to test on his kid. Insane. Graham moved forward, closer to Percy's face. Percy wasn’t good at confrontation— his little spat with Sophia, Stein, and Jan were proof of this in the past and it was making him feel about the same as he had before. He felt his face getting hot, his throat tense as if breathing was something he couldn't do. “Then stop me. Run away. Just like you ran away from your wife's death.” The military commander, soldier, and NC pilot shot at the man with a toxicity to his words as he grabbed the collar of Percy's shirt. A few of the armed soldiers that accompanied Graham had stepped in to prevent any of the pilots from intervening during his little "lesson"; as if on instinct or some sort of mental command from their commanding officer. Percy turned his head slightly to the left. He wanted to tear into Graham's ass in that very moment, but he knew he couldn't. Not in front of Ana.. or any other person, really. Graham could probably tell Percy wanted to wring his neck, or punch him in his damned face, but the pilot didn't do either of those things, or anything else. He was shaking from both the adrenaline and the fear that he was about to get beat himself. “That’s what I thought.” Graham replied at Percy’s non-reaction as he removed his grip from his collar with smoke blowing in the pilot's face before he pushed forward with a bit of force— sending Percy’s ass down to the bench behind him. Did that just happen?! Ana had stood up just a moment before Graham shoved her father to the bench, shock on her face. Why would Graham bring up her mother like that? She looked at her father, then at Vera for a moment, like she was even able to do anything. She then looked Graham again, gaining the courage to shout at him, "You can't bring up my mom like that!" Graham’s eyes looked to Ana— they were icy and angry, but he surprisngly did not strike her for her comment, despite his body language suggesting he may have very well been on the verge of doing such a thing.. In fact, her courage seemed to make the man visibly smirk before he looked to his pilots. “Heh, with that dealt with if you all could follow me to the hangar, that'd be wonderful.” It didn't even take Percy a second to grab Ana and hold her close, covering her head with his hand before Graham could hit her. Even if Graham didn't plan to, it was his first instinct, and when it came to his child, he trusted it immediately. He then whispered to Ana, "Go to the room and lock the door. Don't open it for anyone but me. Okay?" Ana nodded, then sprinted out of the mess hall as fast as she was able, holding back tears of both fear and confusion for when she got into the room and locked the door. This has got to be the quickest I have ever been inspired to post.	Percy J. Moore Age: 32 Role: > Support Appearance: He's a pretty average looking guy. He's about 5 ft 8in, 167 lbs. He has red hair and freckles all over his body, suggesting he's at least a little Irish. At least a little. Even though everything else about him seems warm and inviting, his eyes are a cool gray blue. Some people have told him he looks a little girly, but his stubble shows otherwise. He also has a little bit of a nose on him. Normally, he'd wear a blue jean jacket with a faux fur collar with a dark sandy brown turtleneck underneath, light jeans with dark long-johns underneath, and some worn but sturdy leather-y hiking boots (with socks, of course). He also has a set of more intimidating black steel toed boots, but he doesn't wear those very often. He also has two silver rings on his left hand. One is his wedding ring, the other is his wife's. The glasses shown in the picture are merely for reading. (I just couldn't keep the glasses-wearing Percy to myself tho like look at him) Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) He's got one or two screws a little bit loose.. He's paranoid, temperamental, overprotective and has a very hard time relaxing. Under all that he's really just scared. He's scared for his daughter and himself. He doesn't want his girl to end up like her mother - dead - or him - an emotional mess that's barely got his shit together. If you can get through the barrier to the guy underneath it, you've got yourself a friend that's gonna have your back 99% of the time. Backstory: He was living an average life that was as comfortable as it can be in a wasteland with his mother and father in Smith's Rest.. maybe even a little bit sheltered. After moving out of the house so he can have some time to really figure out who he was as a person, his parents died shortly after because of a disease that was spreading across the settlement. A few years after that, and after a few romps with some other people, he met a lovely woman that was just a year older than him - Laura. Laura was, in his eyes, very pretty, very intelligent, and very much the yin to his yang. They just clicked. They had a child out of wedlock, but they married after their little girl, Ana, was born. A few months later, as they were finally settled into parenthood and Percy thought that maybe everything's alright, Laura was killed in an accident in her workplace. Percy had to tackle parenthood alone. He did awfully at first - Laura was a much better parent than he was at that point in time - but he gradually got better. Ana grew up to be a bright eyed little girl. He took the job because he was in need of the huge sum of money promised. He thought he could just get in, get out, be over with it.. It'd be easy! He was so, so wrong - he figured that one out after the surgery to get his plug.. That's what he gets for not reading the fine print. After dealing with a surprise attack on Smith's Rest, he's gotten meaner and a little less forgiving. Then, after the events of the Navy attack, his NC was damaged to the point it locked up, was able to be toppled, and the right side of his body was mangled pretty badly - so badly in fact, on top of breaking his leg, he lost his hand. His face was luckily kept in tact. He's back into what Sophia called the unfair game with much hesitance.. he prays he doesn't lose any more body parts. Tactical Preference & Skills: > He'd rather stay away from bloodshed if he can, but if he can't, sticking close to the team would be his second choice. He has a very strong desire to protect those around him, even if they're in huge mechas, making him an adequate support. > If he was to do a solo mission and the only person he has to worry about is himself (and he's confident that he'll be fine), he would find no issues with getting his metal hands dirty. Or oily, I guess. Notes: > He hates getting drunk - not because of what it does to him, but because his hangovers are awful > He has pistol that's been passed down for generations upon generations. It's technically obsolete, but he's very good at using it. > He also has a pocket knife that was a sort of "parting gift" from Sophia (the former commander). > He has a prosthetic hand now. He both hates it and kind of totally loves it. > His sync rate is around 75-90%, depending on his mental state. Text Color: LightSteelBlue, or b0c4de Codename: Papa Mike Appearance:: Looks clunkier and heavier than it really is. Basic metallic black paint with white accents. Has a couple dings here and there, but it's not affecting anything major. Older model modified to meet standards of the present, really. Body & Type: > Bipedal > Originally designed to be semi-proficient at most tasks. Has been modified to be faster and more powerful than the original. Equipment: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > Slightly damaged stock neural computer - a bug in the computer is that it calls Percy "Micheal" instead of "Percy." Percy has tried to fix it but is afraid he'll break something else. He's not a coder for fuck's sake. > Above-average thrusters specifically designed for short bursts of speed > Slightly above average generator Armaments: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > VEKW-01.65 (New-Anchorage Custom - 35 rounds, mid-to-long-range) > PPB-2.71 (New-Anchorage Custom - melee (laser sword), standard white in color) Small Standard Fairbanks-Model missile launcher on the back (3 missile burst, long-range) random tidbits (will be added to as I think of things) > Before the NC was Percy's, it belonged to a guy named Michael who was actually an assault/support for his squad.. hence the computer calling him "Michael" :P Ana L. Moore The redhead is Ana. The ushanka girl is Vera Age: 8 Appearance: She's just past the average height of girls her age, being 4ft 2in, but she's underweight at 50 lbs. She shares many of her father's physical traits, just softened (especially her nose). She also has his red hair and freckles - her freckles are more in her face, however. Her eyes are a very lovely shade of green. She's usually wearing a pink and white striped sweater that's beaten up from being worn so often, some dark pants that are equally as beat up, and some shoes that are so worn it's probably time for new ones. She has what she would call "a dumb monkey hat with stupid looking gloves that match" that she really would prefer not to wear (she's eight, not FIVE), but her father makes her wear it sometimes when it's colder than usual. Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) Despite all that's happened, she's still very optimistic and caring. She's got a will made of titanium and she's braver than she realizes she is - even braver than her father, who she feels is the bravest person in the whole world. She's a little bit like her father in the sense that she also has a touch of a temper as well... maybe not a touch. Backstory: She was born to Laura and Percy. She never knew her mother, because she died when she was little. When the surprise attack in Smith's Rest happened, she was almost taken away for who knows what purpose. Almost. She was saved, but her perceptions of the world changed pretty drastically. She didn't know just how scary the world was till then. She's slowly learning to deal with the nightmares, but she probably won't like confined spaces very much. Notes: > She stole a box of crayons from the school once. She still has that box of crayons. > She absolutely loves dogs. Puppies are awesome. > She is very much capable of taking care of herself.. for the most part. > She's a bit clumsy - she has a very tiny, almost unnoticeable scar on her nose, between her eyes. she walked into a door frame when she was little. > Birthday is August 7th. Text Color: Violet or ee82ee
56,080	1,536	46	1,365	7,516	ALEXANDER SKY AND TAHLIA STYLESMESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE Before Percy's outburst, Alex was focusing on this part of Graham's reply, finding it the most relevant: "Both wards have been deemed to be safer behind the walls of this base then in some sad excuse for an orphanage or alternative guardian— hell, Moore is the only guardian that little girl has. I’m not damning her to an orphanage when she has a father right there to lead by example; and Jackspar’s ward is applying for civilian employ.” Not that he wasn't appalled by Graham's words about testing Ana for NC compatibility, and even more appalled by the exchange between Graham and Percy. Appalled, frightened, and and above all, angered. Curling his fist, he didn't know if he should resort to physical violence, shout at Graham, or console Percy. Or perhaps a combination of either of those options. Running up to just behind Graham, Alexander began to shout but before he could voice a single word the butt of an assault rifle hit the front of his face— sending him down onto the floor. The soldier in front of him shook his head as if mouthing a word: "Don't". Alexander forced himself up, glaring at the soldier, and moved forward - he would not be stymed, he would not be intimidated, not anymore. He would keep moving until Graham heard him. Unforunately, whatever the reaction, the soldier's response would be the same as long as he attempted to make for Graham. A fact he deduced after the second blow to his head— it was more about his movement then his vocal actions. Maybe he could appeal to Graham through his words? Still, his head felt like a thumping NC. Ouch. Tahlia stepped forth to the man who was now lying on the ground, moving around the guards that were giving him a stern beating. She kneeled down and placed her hand on his head, pushing it down to make sure that he didn't move from the submissive position that he was locked into. "If you are going to keep lunging forward like that, blindly, then you have already proven how poor your ability to fight really is." Her words were calm, yet forceful, making sure that he understood the gravity of his own actions. "I don't want a fight," Alexander explained, "I'm tempted to, but what I really want to say is—" his tone grew louder before being ultimately cut off by Tahlia's own words. "You may not want a fight, but you have now entered into one, and this is a fight that you simply cannot win." Alexander breathed heavily, trying to glare at Tahlia, but knowing that he was already making this worse for himself. Instead, he said, not trying to address anyone else; it was up to them whether they overheard or not: "When Graham gave his speech, I thought - here was someone I can follow; here was someone who I could admire and obey—" "That's right. You will obey your superior. You got that, slave?" Tahlia lifted his head up by his hair, looking into his eyes and making sure he understood exactly where she was coming from. She had a grit in her teeth, hoping that he would answer her correctly. "Present generations deserve a better life than those in the past, future generations deserve a better life than that of the present; Graham can still provide that, so I'm not resigning..." Tahlia released her grip from Alex's hair, somewhat satisfied at the answer that he had provided her. It was then Graham's voice who addressed the pilots again once the room had finally reached a quiet stand still. “Heh, with that dealt with if you all could follow me to the hangar, that'd be wonderful.” Graham's voice concluded his altercation with Percy as he began to walk forward, the soldiers following him as he did so. It seemed he didn't have a comment on what had gone on behind his back during the altercation at all; so either he did not realize what had happened or just did not care. As far as anyone could tell it was hard to read Graham unless he wanted you to know exactly where he was coming from. A lesson Percy had learned today. Perhaps a lesson Alex did as well, but it was too soon to tell.	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,081	1,536	47	1,372	1,641	Joshua RayMESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE Watching in fear as the events before him unfolded, Joshua's view of the entire menagerie of individuals before him was shattered like a thin pane of glass being shot through by a tank. He simply did as he was told afterwards and briskly followed the group in fear. Graham was still ultimately good in his eyes, but the implications of condoning child soldiers and further still, the hinting of applying the required surgeries to be an NC pilot onto those same kids at such an early age... Nonetheless, he kept up his pace to the hangar, his head at an angle a tad to the floor and watching his own feet. This wasn't going to be as good of a job as he thought.. but he still needed a job.	Joshua Ray Appearance Joshua Ray is a twenty-seven year old young man with brown eyes, long black hair in a pony-tail, and a somewhat lanky frame. He stands about six feet tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. While he is somewhat squishy, he isn't weak in terms of strength. His skin is notably pale for a 'Surface-Dweller' due to his sheltered upbringing, and he carries himself as if he doesn't want to make a scene at most times. Age 27 Role Joshua Ray fits into both a 'Heavily-armored heavy weapons specialist' and 'High mobility demolitions' role. Due to this, his NC can fit both. Personality Joshua Ray is a kind, optimistic young man with fire and hope in his eyes, possessed by a desire to make the world a better place and wander around. That's what he'd be doing if he had any say in the matter, but a man with an NC has to eat. He dislikes doing extremely 'dirty' operations, yet is just fine being a more cunning or surreptitious sort. He's not one to talk often, but he does appreciate company, as long as they're also of the more silent type. He's easily noted for his somewhat deadpan, snarky humor and mild self-deprecating tendencies, yet maintaining a fairly friendly demeanor. However, for all of his love of justice and morality, he's a bit of a coward. Backstory Joshua Ray grew up in one of the many scattered surface settlements, in a still somewhat irradiated, yet peaceful area in one of outlying Denver-Vegas territories. Living a somewhat sheltered life, he developed a love of reading pre-war and modern stories, documents, and religious writings, not to mention a strong sense of righteousness and morality that stands with him to this day. When he was of age, he began wandering the world with his own two feet, going from continent to continent by salvaged boat or independent aerial transporters. Doing odd-jobs as needed around the world, he never lost his thirst for justice nor his hope to play a part in creating a better future for all of mankind. One day while working in a medical facility, what appeared to be an error in some minor group or another's "Neural-Combatant Compatibility" detection hardware revealed that he had the necessary mental or psychological asset that gave him the capability to control one. Calling in favors with friends and extended family, he soon found himself controlling a custom-built lightweight NC known as the Apollo, after an absolutely ancient group or project that apparently resulted in men landing on the moon overhead. While originally built from scrap at a junkyard and using hand-me-down Neural Nets and software, over three years the Apollo turned into the heavily armed and armored beast it is today. Eventually, however, he accepted all the independent contracts that he was any interested in, and decided to finally fall into a larger group. Going from one corporate army to another, he now waits to see if New Anchorage wants him or not. Tactical Preference & Skills Ray is highly adept at high-speed pursuit and maneuvering, managing heavy weapons, and bracing/fidgeting before impact to reduce the lethality of enemy attacks. His best skill, however, is his ability to determine the situation he's in and the safest way out if need be. Notes Joshua Ray's favorite pastimes include star-gazing, reading ancient and modern documents and stories, and finally contemplating with others about the universe and humanity's place. Not to mention video games. Text Color ff4c4c Apollo 'Heavy' AppearanceThe red Apollo 'Heavy' is a somewhat bulky heavily armored unit with many reaction control verniers and weapon mountings. While a thicker example of an NC, it is still a fairly sleek and well-rounded unit, armor able to render most non-specialist weapons fairly useless. Body & Type The Apollo is a heavily armed and armored bipedal type, with additional jets compared to most other heavy NC's, giving it a decent amount of maneuverability for its weight class. Although, it's still not particularly quick in a straight line. The NC itself stands at a mighty 26 meters, towering over medium weights and lightweights, although just a bit on the short side for fellow heavies. Equipment & Armaments The Apollo 'Heavy' is very well armed, with weapons and equipment including: One right-handed custom-built heavy particle rifle, firing deadly globs of hydrogen based plasma. It has a very high rate of fire for a weapon of its class and individual shot-strength, and has additional heatsinks compared to your standard plasma weapon. Due to these qualities, it's a very good suppression and anti-NC weapon, although its long range abilities are moot, and it can only reasonably fire when the NC is maneuvering slower. Made out of a combination of Paragon, Volkov, and Magen parts. Six 1 meter diameter missile racks on the back 'wings', these can take many types of warheads and missile bodies, although Ray usually loads them with long-range anti-armor missiles. 1 Heavy siege-shield, fitted with heat-resistant coating and sharpened to the point it can be used similar to a 'Pile-bunker' gauntlet. Fitted on the left arm with a gauntlet, leaving the hand free. 1 left-handed kinetic sniper rifle with a belt-feed. Based using Denver-Vegas parts, this rifle has a very long operational range and can easily damage most NC's and slow, armored targets like bunkers or naval ships. 2 hip-mounted Thermal Cleavers, each with a pointed tip, allowing them to slash and stab with equal ability. They are generally folded up like a butterfly knife on each hip, unless in use. One is as long as the NC's arm, and the other is about half as long, similar to a Katana and Wakizashi pair, although the blades are straight and less fancy. The Apollo is also equipped with an array of chaff-launchers, fitted with four charges of a special type of chaff that interferes with infrared and RADAR targeted weapons, while also reducing the capability of laser or particle arms. Finally, all of the units' ammunition is stored on a large backpack right beneath the units' thruster 'wings', with two feeds connecting to the Apollo's plasma caster and sniper-rifle, pumping hydrogen and sending large caliber bullets respectively. Fuel is stored inside tanks within the Apollo's legs and the sides of the chest. Unique Feature In an emergency, the heavy armor plating, extraneous thrusters and power-routing cables powering them can be ejected by the heavy clamps and occasional electromagnets that hold them in place. This results in the Apollo 'Heavy' effectively turning into the Apollo 'Light', with changed features below. Apollo 'Light' Appearance The Apollo Light is a thinly armored NC that is in all actuality just the frame for a much larger one, yet able to act independently. Standing two meters lower than its original form, the Apollo-Light is still taller then most average NC's, yet less so. The Apollo Heavy's shield divides in two at the middle, and combines with the now armorless wing-portion to form two large 'binders' on the backside. The motions of these in flight can severely enhance the rotational and maneuverability based capabilities of the NC. Body & Type The Apollo-Light is nearly armorless in comparison to the Heavy form, but the power generator, now having to feed a smaller amount of turbojets maneuvering a lighter NC, can overdrive the aforementioned for even more speed. Of course, the now 'needlessly heavy' systems installed do weigh it down to the point it's not as fast as it could be if optimized. Equipment & Armaments Much less heavily armed compared to the Apollo 'Heavy', the inner frame of which is only armed with its sniper rifle and plasma-caster, but its ammunition backpack is still in place, alongside its shield, although technically. Of course, with the armorless wings being able to move, they can still assist in defense. Theoretically, if need be, the connection ports powering the other weapons can send electrical arcs through the air like a tesla-coil, but Ray never tried that before in mild fear. Notes Compared to the 'Heavy form', the 'Light' Apollo is much more worthy as a scout or any other position that requires stealth, with a boxier and thinner design. If needed, it could be outfitted with RADAR-absorbent coating and act as reconnaissance unit.
56,082	1,536	48	1,469	281	JOE VERONA, ALEXANDER SKYMESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE Joe Verona could see where Percy's outburst was coming from, but he decided to not interject - not because it would get him in trouble, but because Graham might not have intended to cause the outburst with his remark, he was following New Anchorage's law so far, so unless Joe could prove this wasn't an accident, there was no reason for him to act. The soldier's reactions were a bit harsh though, for his taste. Unless Graham either added more fuel to the fire, or rekindled the same outburst shortly after, there really was no reason for Joe to act. After a few short glances at everyone's faces to determine their reaction to the situation, he noticed Percy's outburst caused another commotion between two of the new recruits, specifically Alexander Sky and a woman, who hadn't mentioned her name in Joe's presence yet. The commotion was over rather quickly, but Joe still decided to walk to the scene to at least see if everything was alright. "Is everything alright?" Joe asked both recruits in a tone that made it apparent he thought the answer to his question was 'No'. If he wouldn't get an answer, he would simply walk to the hangar. Alexander looked at him like a deer caught in a headlight, saying sadly: "Thanks. As I said, I'm not resigning, because, if you hadn't heard me, future generations deserve a better life than present ones, and Graham can still..." he trailed off, trembling. "How can we fight together like this? There's nothing gluing us together now." While following Alexander on the way to the hangar, Joe Verona replied: "Not right now, but on the battlefield there is one thing gluing everyone together, the increased chance to die if one is alone." Alex felt woozy, the pain in his head finally getting to him. He wanted to say something, he wanted to doubt, he wanted to rage; if he were not in a migrane right now, he would go on a monologue about how he doubted everything Joe told him. Instead he said bitterly: "It feels like I've been neural shocked." Joe didn't respond, he didn't know if trying to help would be a good thing in this situation, if he even could help at the moment, so he just continued heading for the hangar. Alexander, meanwhile, also thought: If I were with my old masters, they would have given me painkillers by now. But that line of thinking was banished by the memory of just what those painkillers were used for - a carrot and stick to guarantee his obedience. This is still better, he said as he held his head...	Name: Joe Verona Nicknames: Joe-it-all Role: Artillery/Hacking Text-color: edb25b Joe is the son of the mechanic Arin Verona, working in Smith's rest, which allowed Joe to get to see a few NCs in his life while his father was working on them. He also picked up a bunch of scientific knowledge regarding engineering from him. An old but still post-cataclysm computer was a gift for his 13th birthday; it only had a commandline interface, although it was possible for it to display and generate images. Especially the lack of a graphical user interface paved the way for Joe to learn much about computing with his remainder of a child's ability to learn complex systems quickly, given sufficient interest. About two years ago the financial situation of the family got really bad, so Arin decided to sell Joe's computer. Unfortunatly without consulting him first. The very same day Joe noticed and snapped, punching his father in the head during the rage which lasted only a few seconds before he regained control. The force of the punch was great enough to break his hand and permanently damage his father's brain. As a result of the damage, Arin's long-term memory is unable to store new memories, although previous memories from before that day remain unaffected.After he was assigned to Smith's Rest's NC squad as punishment(although he usually doesn't mention it), the first thing he did to his NC was intentionally crash it's software to have an easier time reconfiguring it to his liking. As he did not warn or tell the engineers, they were pretty surprised and angry at that move of his. On his first mission, he defeated 'Rook' an enemy NC alongside Percy(a fellow pilot at the time), and also shut down a broken down nuclear reactor while exposing himself to dangerous levels of radiation. No effects of radiation could be found at a medical examination after the mission, but he was advised to avoid radiation as much as possible. During his second mission, he noticed how much Swarm's weaponry depended on visual at the time, very thick fog could easily throw off the targeting laser, so he purchased a railgun for the Swarm. After the siege of Smith's Rest, the settlement was renamed to New Anchorage, and after some time Joe was scheduled to go on a mission, which he tried to use to escape from his punishment, but before he could set his plan into motion, the old captain of the team deserted, completely throwing off the entire schedule. Although he hasn't heard from her since, he is still on good terms with the former captain, and if she keeps her promise she made when she left, he will occasionally recieve letters from her. Once Graham became the commander of the team, they were expected to do combat simulations. However, Joe failed to plug into the simulations, the cause has yet to be determined. Later the same day, while Joe was trying to go after clues why he couldn't connect to the simulation, he stumbled upon the concept of a long range acoustic device, called 'sound-cannon' by some. He proceeded to purchase 200 high-powered speakers and 2 control circuit boards for them, hoping he could maybe recreate one, and if he could, possibly install it on his NC.Age: 26 Personality: Joe is usually the analytical type, using knowledge to his advantage. It is very hard to anger him, and if he is in a rage it only lasts for seconds, but during those seconds he is capable of anything, except staying calm and analytical. height: 1.79m normal weight, although closer to underwheight than to overwheight pale as a vampire Tactical preference/skills:Joe isn't really cut out for combat, mostly because his tendency to overanalize his situation lowers his reaction-time significantly; in some situations 2 seconds pass before he can react. As such he usually prefers to be in safe locations during a battle, being rather involved in communications, tactics or cyber-warfare(taking remote control of an enemy unit and the like). He is not a great tactitian despite his analytical nature though Neural Plug Synchronization: 77% Other things of note: NERD!!! Code-Name: Swarm A general humanoid, although armored and handless. Where the hand would normally be is instead a currently unoccupied weapon or utility slot Type/Quality: It acts as a ranged unit, taking out both grounded and airborn targets, preferably out of their range. Middling-low To ease targeting and target-prioritizing, the head is equipped if a more powerful radar, which can manually be focussed in any direction to increase its range in that direction a bit. The Swarm is equipped with 2 guidance systems: A cruise missile controller for precise strikes with single missles An IR-laser to aim at whatever a volley of heat-seekers shall target. The laser itself has not enough power to do any damage on its own The 22 missile launcher have a reload time of 40 seconds and it takes about 4 seconds to fire an entire volley of missiles. 1 Sys: VEKW-01.65 railgun (purchased) General Description: The Swarm Is a heavier, hunchbacked unit with an extreme focus on long range combat and defensive armaments. It features numerous long-range high mobility missile launchers, and it would have a high-powered plasma cannon in the waist, but that mount is currently unoccupied. As well, the Swarm has an interesting backpack design suited for aerodynamics and in-atmosphere flight speed, effectively meaning that while it's slow as mollasses on the ground, its actually sort of fast in the air. However, if the backpack was hit by a heavier weapon, due to speedy and shoddy construction, it does have a chance to damage the rest of the unit. Thus, the pilot should always point towards the enemy.
56,083	1,536	49	923	5,303	STEINCORRIDORS, NEW ANCHORAGE AFTERNOON The incident with Percy and the new pilot, Alexander, didn’t bother Stein in the slightest. It reminded her back when she was ten— get in line or be put in line. There was no way Percy could’ve expected to keep Ana away from a simple neurological exam to see if she had the latent talent to fly a NC. She didn’t understand his emotions, but she had gotten the same analysis when she was a little younger than his daughter. Sure, the operation that followed was intense and painful, but that would come later. It wasn’t like Graham had spare NC’s even if he did intend to prepare Ana or Vera for the occupation. It felt… paranoid. As far as the situation with two of the newer pilots and one of the soldiers Stein had not really paid much attention to it because her eyes were on Graham and Percy the whole time. She did get an impression of what she could hear from the spat though. “Volkov would’ve shot him. Both of them, probably.” Stein remarked with an observation as the visage of Jan Van Gent carried himself with a pace next to the blonde-haired pilot as he seemed to be just as unaffected as she was by the incidents that had happened before them. "Eh, boss'll probably forget about me being slightly late in all this fracas, so hurray to me, eh?" Jan had regarded the entire chain of events with what looked like mild amusement. "Always funny to see people trying to argue with the CO. The way they rise up and are immediately beaten down... At least with a halfway decent commander." He glanced at Percy. "Unfortunately for Moore, it would seem Graham most definitely is a decent commander." If there was anything Stein could agree on was that Graham was a decent commander, at least in terms of efficiency. Whilst she didn’t understand why he physically antagonized Percy Moore, Graham seemed like a soldier that had a method to his madness at the very least. She had only spoken with the former Denver-Vegas ace a few times since he signed on but every time they had an exchange or she saw him giving orders it felt appropriate and logical. It was like a mirror of what Stein thought Sophia represented and she still felt some discontent for what she experienced under the woman despite her helping her when she had nothing. “A unflinching one. He gives a different presence than our previous commander, I think.” "I wouldn't know, I only knew that lady for maybe a few days before she walked out," Jan reminisced “She lied about statistics for our mission against Red Oni and Fubuki.” Stein replied, almost as if it was meant as an interjection or counterpoint. "Eh, math is overrated anyway, the better you plan something, the more it'll just fall apart once something inevitably goes wrong," Jan replied, reflecting his overrall demeanour quite well. “Math can help planning, Van Gent, or did they not teach you that in mercenary school?” The comment was nearly a quip at her comrades expense— evidence that Stein was feeling more comfortable with Jan since their initial meeting in the hangar when she jarred her knee into his stomach. An odd meeting, but one she believed he had more than earned given she had warned him that she was in a bad mood at the time. Perhaps a thing the former mercenary would notice himself if he was paying attention. "Well I didn't exactly study to be an NC pilot... That just sort of happened... interesting story actually, maybe I'll tell you when we have some R&R," Jan hadn't missed the slight change in Stein's demeanour. Gears were already turning in his head to formulate a proper verbal riposte. "Of course most of the math I do practice concerns the minimuim distance to safely fire a plasma lance... quite an important bit of rough arithmethic that, unless you want to see what it looks like when that plasma lance overheats." “Heh.” Stein chuckled— albeit in her own monotonous fashion. "So what do you think about the kid? As far as I can see the only thing he's proven so far is that he's got a tough skull." Jan had done nothing but silently laugh when Alexander had tried his 'heroic' attempt to intervene Stein looked over to Alexander Sky, not caring he was in earshot. “Lascivious, Impulsive, and fatuous. I hope his skill in the NC is the opposite of what he has shown today. But I will elaborate after the commander is done with whatever it is he intends to show us.” “I hope the same, I only fly the way I do under the assumption the rest of the squad can cover my ass. So a moron dragging us down is a good way for me to get fried." Jan put particular emphasis on the last part of his sentence, loud enough that everyone could hear it.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,084	1,536	50	1,409	1,959	Agatha SmithMess Hall, New Anchorage "Che." Agatha snorted, decorum forgotten just as quickly as everyone else had. It was one thing to understand the neccesity to teach an unruly soldier their place, but to see a commander who is trying to instill some professionalism just go and knock a man ass over kettle was a peculiar sight. Though Agatha would admit she was impressed in the little girl, Ana. That girl had more will power in her tiny frame then one would credit to an 11 year old. Percy, on the other hand, was a disappointment in every sense. To even think you could keep a child with you on a military installation and keep them from being tested was ludicrous, and if she was positive then it would be delusional to think she wouldn't be crammed into the first available NC. If he honestly wanted to keep her away from the life of a pilot, he would have taken that girl and ran somewhere far off and forgotten. Graham definetly drove home Percy's cowardice to Agatha at least. He was either too attached to his life in New Anchorage or too comfortable in the life style to consider leaving. If he didn't value Ana's freedom to choose her future, then that was only a demerit against his parenting skills and character. Ana would make a good pilot when he either got court martialed for trying to kill Graham or just outright ran away. Agatha thought she was made of the same metal Stein was forged from, if she had to hazard a guess. Alex's outburst was largely within her expectations for him. He was cute in that puppy dog kind of way, thought it was signifigantly marred seeing him drool of everyone he met. Agatha might of had the displeasure of working for a self proclaimed 'Harem King' once upon a time. It wasn't a pleasent work environment, and too say the least there tends to be a horrible group dynamic when everyone wants to bone one individual. Especially if they drop dead from sniper fire or stray artillery, then morale just hits rock borrom, but that's more of a story for, well, never. Agatha was pretty sure Alex was going to be a bleeding heart, moral centric sort of person. Always the first to snap under the pressure of an unkind world. What a waste. Feeling exhausted from all the introspection, Agatha let out a world weary sigh before walking off after the departing group. At least Joe seemed sensible, Stein too given she didn't have an asinine outburst during the whole encounter. Really, the old timer just wanted to get information on her fellow pilots beyond her own observations, because she was starting to get concerned about their chances in combat.	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,085	1,536	51	716	5,223	PERCY MOORE and JOHN "JINGO" STRANGEMESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE Jingo felt nothing but sympathy for Percy, he was being a good father and couldn't see why people were casting such scorn on him. Following at a distance behind the rest, Jingo slowed to a stop by Percy's side, his eyes still on the backs of the others as they shadowed Graham. "Me mum would 'ave 'pproved," he mumbled, chewing the inside of his intact cheek, "As do I." Jingo dropped down a little so that they were pretty much level, turing so that he could see percy from the corner of his vision. His mother had always objected to him becoming an NC pilot, from the first day he was offered the position she had begged him not to take it - it was dangerous and everyone in Falcon's Reach knew it. Percy glanced over to Jingo briefly, not understanding at first. Then, based on the context, he said softly, "Thanks, John," He smiled for a moment before settling his eyes forward again. At least Jingo was on his side about it. If Percy was to be honest, Jingo was probably one of the two people he actually enjoyed working with, the other being Eli. Even if she and Percy didn't talk much, he never really felt like she considered him as 'lesser' or anything like that, and obviously Jingo didn't feel like he was above him either. Everyone else was on a damn high-horse, insane, or both. "Please Percy, Jingo." He now turned his eyes fully onto Percy, looking at him intensely with his good, grey eye. Percy would have said something in response, but he couldn't really think of what to say. He didn't exactly feel intimidated, but at the same time, getting a close look at Jingo's face was a little.. daunting. He simply nodded instead of speaking. "Ye see, when I were a lad, me mum always wanted te do tha best fer me," he thought back to when he was younger, when his mother wouldn't let him out of the house, "She loved me, and she ne'er hid it from anyone. As far as Oi'm concerned, yer doin' a great job." Jingo blinked away an impending tear. "Yer doin' a fine job.." Percy grinned again and gave Jingo a friendly nudge as he mumbled, "Stop gettin' all emotional, man. You're ruining the whole 'scary big guy' thing you've got going on." Jingo looked at Percy and cocked his head to the side, giving him a hard look before he cracked a toothy smile, "Yer probably right." He rose up from his crouch to his full hieght, giving Skitters a pat on his side on the way up, "Shall we get going then?" Percy stood from the bench and started to follow the group to the hangar, slowing for a moment so Jingo could follow. Jingo practically dwarfed the man as they walked side by side, catching up to within a few yards of the group; as they followed, Skitters trotting merrily between them and Jingo shifted his bag to his other shoulder so he could see Percy better. He cleared his throat. "Would ye.. Uh.. Would ye know when Madison is out of tha infirmary?" he formed the words through an unsure mouth, he found it hard to imagine the girl having hurt herself bad enough to be stuffed in an ICU. Images of pipes and restraints came to him, much like what he went through when he was in the same situation. "From what I know, she's still in a coma," Percy said, a bit slowly, like he didn't want to have to say that, "I'm not sure about specifics, I just make sure she hasn't died." the redhead looked down at the floor, breaking whatever eye contact they had made for a couple seconds. A part of him almost felt like it was his fault that she was in such a state, and he didn't want Jingo to see that. He knew that, logically, it wasn't - he didn't do anything that would have lead to her going into the ICU - but it didn't really stop him from feeling like he did. Skitters looked up at the pair from where it was, trotting between them, it's camera zooming in on their features and regestering the morose expressions in both of them. It brushed up against Percy's leg much like a cat would, looking up at him and checking for any change in expression before doing the same to Jingo. Percy gave the robot dog a look-over, giving him a little pat on his head before it clicked - this was a robot dog. His calm changed into more of a surprise. "How long has this been a thing?" Percy put his hand on Skitters' head again and looked him over again. "I definitely don't remember it being here before." Jingo snorted, looking down at Skitters with a look of adoration. "Remember when ee left?" he asked, "Te settle those issues with me inheritance?" "Yeah." "Well this bag o' bol's is part of it," He gave Skitters a friendly kick, sending it side stepping into Percy and activating it's defense. From the front of his snout, two metal contacts rose up from the metal surface and sparked, Skitters' taser snapping into life, "Come now Sk'ers, ye know ye like it." The robot dog looked away, its tail between its legs and its defense returning back into the compartments from where they came.	Name: Penelope 'Penny' Maverick Age: 23 Role: Sharpshooter/Sniper Personality: Penny is a spunky and inquisitive type who is endlessly curious about people and events and is know to ask a lot of (somtimes too many) questions. She is also fiercely savvy at public relations especially when it comes to corporate types. Backstory: Daniel Maverick, Penny's grandfather was one of the settlers who helped build Smith's Rest as he was stationed in Alaska during the time. Because of this, Penny's Father Jacques always made sure his daughter was very aware and proud of the Maverick name as he felt Smith's rest was a part of the families history. But Penny grew up curious about the world outside of Smith's Rest and became a journalist at age 17 using her media work to travel the world and to learn more about the current world situation following the Elysian war. After making a healthy profit selling high interest stories to the news divisions of corporation owned websites she used all of the money to buy a salvaged NC and formal pilot training as she felt that this was the next step to learning more about the world. She didn't have to think twice when learning about Graham's recruitment and signed up instantly. Tactical Preference & Skills: Penny chose an NC which would allow her to take more time to fire her shots and not get caught in the chaos of the melee as her reflexes arent particularly fast. So sniping came fairly easy to her, but she was cautious enough to train in the use of the Gatling gun for mid range combat to keep enemies off of her who try to close the distance. She typically likes to fly to high vantage points and fire high damage shots at unsuspecting enemies from a distance. Notes: She has an addiction to energy drinks that she would never admit to. Text Color: color=fff200 or Yellow THE VANGUARD SAINT Codename: 'The VanGuard Saint' Interceptor-2638 Model MkII Appearance : Body & Type: Bipedal Flyer-Type Equipment & Armaments : Right Hand: High Power Dual Purpose 'Avenger-Longshot' Rifle (Doubles as High Power Sniper and a Flamethrower for closer range) Left Hand: 'Chewing' High Velocity Gatling Gun with single use heat laser. Left Shoulder: Standard EMP Launcher (For disrupting enemy units.) Body: Heavy Armor Plating and Powerful Jet Pack Flight System No real Melee capabilities, and slow PvP reflexes.
56,086	1,536	52	1,524	552	ELI and VERA Mess Hall, New Anchorage Unacceptable. Eli’s stony surface could endure a myriad of traumas and remain unscathed, she could glare through torture if need be, but such a flagrant display of insubordination was enough to force her eyes wide. Not in anger –at least not at first– but genuine shock and deniable fear, fear for New Anchorage. In her mind she could almost see it, the settlement a fiery ruin and their fractured team powerless to help. She swallowed hard, her throat constricted in protest. She saw them dead, all of them in flashes. The Papa Mike torn in two, Stein hanging limp from the bullet-riddled cockpit of the Little Dragon, Swarm and Goldenspur smoldering wrecks, and Blur impaled upon its own sword. She dragged her bloody, broken body across the snow, clawing her way towards the horrific sounds rising from the fresh ashes of New Anchorage. Over the raging fire and artillery she could hear screams, every dying citizen, everyone she’d never met and everyone she’d ever known. Desperate, indignant, futile, only to die coughing up her lungs a mile off with nothing to mark any of their graves but the blizzard turning their NC’s into massive dunes of frost. Her skin went cold, like her bones had turned to ice. The chilled air condensed in her throat, and she felt as though she were drowning from the inside out. Was this what it was like to die? Perhaps that was why her chest was heavy, and she couldn’t breathe, this must have been it. Small fingers clutched her wrist, and it was all Eli could do not to shout. Reality took hold once again, and at the same time that she realized this, an involuntary gasp filled her neglected lungs. Slight but sure, her hands were trembling from fingertip to wrist, and she shoved them into her jacket pockets. A far more potent embarrassment overshadowed her terror. ”Lizzy…” Eli’s attention shot to the side, where Vera was still holding her wrist. She nearly gave the younger girl a hard look for breaking attention during a meeting, but quickly realized the mess hall was more or less empty now that Graham was making his way for the hangar. Vera didn’t say anything else, the question was asked well enough by the concern in her eyes. Eli shook her head, quick and doubtful, and started after the others. The anger began setting in, her eyes fell to the floor. Weeks, she’d gone weeks without incident. She’d gotten through successful and failed missions, Sophia’s desertion, and even the humiliating defeat in the simulation only a short time prior, and yet now after a small spat that didn’t even involve her, she was on a timer. Every heartbeat sent a dull throb through the palms of her hands, and despite the warm clothing she could feel chills spreading like icy fingers from her spine. The outward signs were minimal, and she was convinced no one would notice, or at least be able to infer anything from the spacey breathing and balling of fists, but that didn’t help the shame. Her mother could spot the incidents a mile away, and Eli would have been confined the moment her focus had faltered. Vera could see them coming too, part from experience and part from the girl’s sheer attentiveness to people. Eli could only pray that the tour would conclude quickly. The faster she could get confined, the better, then she could give more attention to the alarms going off in the back of her mind. ”Lizzy," This time Vera's tone was more assertive. She rounded up in front, barring the way with more than just her body, but the assurance in her eyes. ”S'gonna be okay, whatever happens. Promise." The words Eli wanted to say were soft and kind, that she believed in her, that she'd never let Graham or anyone put her in harm's way. But those words were stuck in her throat, and in her silence she realized it wasn't simple assurance in Vera's eyes, but fearless determination. Suddenly Eli wanted to tell her to leave, to go to their room like Ana had, and lock the door and never come out again. Instead, "We're falling behind," was all she could muster, before pushing on after the rest of the group, cold as the world outside. She didn't hear Vera's footsteps following along for a few moments after.	Elizabeth Jackspar Age 21 Role Melee Skirmisher Appearance A life dedicated to training has left Eli with a lean, athletic form. An albino, her skin is chalk-white, her long hair a similar color, and her eyes holding a glassy-blue hue. She has a hard gaze and straight posture, like a soldier constantly at attention. Despite this, she’s prone to wearing civilian clothes when things are quiet. Scarves strike her fancy, and she’ll often wear them high on her neck over her mouth, but she’s also prone to gloves and arm warmers. Personality Cold and dismissive to anyone that isn’t her superior, compliant and dutiful to all others with an underlying layer of competitiveness beneath everything. A quick, calculating mind and fast reflexes make Eli a good soldier, but little else unfortunately. In her early teenage years, Eli began suffering from severe and sudden panic attacks, often leaving her an unresponsive wreck. Not knowing how such incidents would affect her daughter's future, her mother went to great lengths to keep the affliction a secret from future potential employers. After a handful of years the attacks decreased in both frequency and intensity without professional assistance, which made concealing them much easier. Tactical Preference/Skills Eli excels in melee combat, preferring swords to firearms and speed to durability. While her specialty is quick execution, she can handle prolonged confrontations, especially against a single opponent. Background ”Eli” Eli was eight years old when she learned her name was short for “Elizabeth”. Her mother, the librarian recluse Celina Jackspar, had used it once, the first time she’d cried during her training. ”Get up, Elizabeth. Now. And never cry in front of me again.” And she never did. The Jackspars might have been lepers for how little they interacted with the world. Confined to a modestly sized library nestled in the corner of what was then “Smith’s Rest”, few ever visited, and fewer were actually aware the spindly, aged woman had a child. With little to their name aside from cases and piles of books, it would not have been unreasonable to assume the family would contribute nothing great to the world. Celina would not allow such an outcome. The training began early, and never slackened. Eli learned from a young age what she was, and would be. She did not attend school, she did not socialize with peers, she rarely left the library at all. Her life was dedication, she had to let go of the urges to want, and focus entirely on the future. ”Up.” And she got up. The Jackspars could afford no firearms, and so forewent practicing them. Instead it was decided that Eli would master the art of melee combat in their absence. Lyosha Voloshyna, a carpenter and one of the family’s only “friends”, happily supplied them with wooden models of various swords, ranging from the typical and familiar, to the foreign and unique. Eli was made to train with them day in and day out. They would not be weapons held, they would be extensions of her own body, or she would fall short. Countless other prospective pilots had the advantage of proper training, they could afford to be merely “adequate” so long as they rounded out a checklist and passed the neural exam. ”I don’t want you on-par, I want you better. Keep going.” And she would. Hour after hour Eli practiced, submitting herself to the forms and tests of balance. By the time she was in her middle teens, picking up a sword felt like raising her hand, swinging felt like punching. Her threshold for pain was pushed further each day, and every time she kept her mouth shut, kept her face calm, she would catch the ghost of a smirk flicker over her mother’s face. Moving had become a dance, and she was the prima. When she was fifteen, a practice sword broke in her hand, splintering midway down the blade. It was old, nothing unexpected, and the shattering caused her no physical harm. All the same Eli froze, wide eyes fixated on the broken blade, and her arm, then the girl collapsed in a fit of agony. Celina watched, shocked. ”Get up.” But she didn’t. ”Elizabeth, get. Up.” But she couldn’t. It took all of her strength not to cry. It was her first major incident, and the only one Celina ever saw. It took a few years to realize they weren’t going to stop, and seeking professional psychiatric help would murder Eli’s chances at becoming a pilot, so Celina resolved to handle the situation in her own way. Eli knew Eli. Celina knew Elizabeth. ”Stop shaking.” And she would. The final years leading up to application were smooth by Celina’s standards. Her daughter was sharp, fast, resilient, and above all, obedient. She would protect Smith’s Rest, she would protect its people, and she would do so under the instruction of whosoever commanded the forces. Second to her, of course. ”Don’t disappoint me.” And she wouldn’t. -Helped defeat Knight and Rook alongside Percy Moore, Madison Cole, John Strange, and Joe Verona -Took on her younger sister, Vera, as an “assistant” -Bonded with the previous commander, Sophia -Suffered a gruesome defeat at the first assault on Smith’s Rest -Shaken by Sophia’s desertion Text Color: color=6ecff6 Example. Blur :Body-Plan: Blur is a humanoid, bipedal NC, designed to move and strike quickly. Its armor is lacking, but a myriad of thrusters allow not only for fast evasive maneuvers, but also for gap-closing on enemies. :Type/Quality: Blur is designed to be an up-close-and-personal NC, meant to close in on key targets before engaging in a melee assault. In this, Blur excels, and should the enemy be unequipped for close-range combat, they may have trouble. However range is her crux, and while Blur is good at evading enemy fire, should one corner her from far enough away, there is little she can do to get out of the situation. Though Eli would never admit it, Blur works best with, and sometimes even requires a team. :Equipment: -Sets of thrusters allowing for enhanced mobility and sustained flight. -Flare caches for more difficult evasive maneuvers. -Targeting system designed to track a single enemy and suggest/allocate NC power to close the distance in the quickest/most effective manner. Suggestions are automatic, control/execution is manual. :Armaments: -Standard-Issue NC Beam Sword -PPB-2.71 “Plasma Sword” (Purchased) -Deployable “Finger-Claws” (New-Anchorage Custom) -Set of demolition charges sized for NC's. The charges are kept as two separate components that are combined individually in their storage to become armed as needed, so as to avoid detonation from trauma to the housing NC. --- Vera Voloshyna (Left, Ana Moore. Right, Vera Voloshyna) Age 13 Appearance Vera’s short, her blonde hair equally so, and her eyes are vibrant, lively green. She’s taken to dressing like Eli in some cases, with scarves and hoodies and the like, and generally has smudges of dirt or oil on her face. One of her front teeth bears a chip to it. Personality Vera is both easily excitable and hard to bring down. The girl almost always has a smile on her face whether something fun is happening or not, and tends to be more on the gullible side. Background Vera’s parents were at Smith’s Rest long before she was born. Her mother was a doctor, and as Vera understands it she helped Ms. Jackspar deliver her daughter not long after their arrival, and it wasn’t until more than a decade later that she herself was born. Their families grew close, and Ms. Jackspar took on a completely different, warmer persona around the Voloshynas. When Vera was two, she spent much of her time being babysat by them, when she was five, she had managed to befriend Ms. Jackspar’s daughter, Elizabeth. When she was six, her parents vanished. The family had received threats multiple times over the course of their stay from residents none too fond of the Russian Volkov Security. The Voloshyna’s tried in vain to explain they held no part in the company’s actions, but when at last the threats turned to violence, they had no choice. The letters never addressed their daughter, perhaps because she spent so much time with the Jackspars it was assumed she was just another one of them. Regardless, when Vera’s parents fled they took the opportunity to leave her in the care of their friend, who agreed without complaint or protest. The girl did the rest of her growing up around Elizabeth, and the two grew incredibly close. She did not receive the same harsh training as Elizabeth but Ms. Jackspar did teach her a few tricks to keeping well in the settlement. -Due to an increasingly dangerous home environment, Celina sent her to "assist" Eli on-base. -Survived the assault on Smith's Rest Text Color: color=662d91 Example.
56,087	1,536	53	923	5,303	GRAHAMHANGARS, NEW ANCHORAGE AFTERNOON Graham wasn’t deaf and he wasn’t blind— he knew very well that the incident in the Mess Hall had caused a bit of a stir and turned some heads. But Graham wasn’t in this to make quick friends or to handhold sensitive snowflakes— he was here to forge soldiers and pilots. Even if they didn’t like it. That did not matter. The situation with Percy Moore was one he could’ve handled better though, but he needed to get a glimpse to see if there was any sort of man inside of his body. When he first met the red-haired pilot he thought he saw something in him, a fire that had been fading since his wife’s death, and he was hoping he could stir something in him— to see if he had any bite. If you could not stand up for what you believed in then you didn’t deserved to believe in anything— that was Graham’s belief on the matter. Whatever the lagging pilots thought on the matter, positive or negative, didn’t affect him in the slightest because he knew he was justified in what he did and how he did it. If they did not like it they could forfeit their pay advance and quit. He inhaled the chemical in the synth as he thought hard on what kind of group he was going to need to break down and rebuild. He had not been blind to Alexander Sky’s near-insubordination and Stein’s comment regarding the matter that in a corporation he would’ve gotten shot for similar behavior was correct. Graham had seen it in Denver-Vegas when one of the more ornery pilots decided to attack a superior when his sister was being lectured in a similar fashion to what had happened in the mess hall. Thunk! Bang. It was pretty intense when he witnessed it and even though at the time he knew he was a soldier… he didn’t know what the consequences were if you crossed the line that Denver-Vegas drew in the sand. But it made him stronger and he was better for it. He just hoped that these kids would not be so blind to the point of the lesson; but then again they were too emotional and unfocused to even see; though his stone-like expressions probably worked against him. But ever since Elysian he stopped telegraphing his emotions... he stopped wanting to feel them. As Graham moved through the hangars they got to a large empty— and dimly lit hangar that had been undesignated (as well as closed) during the former commander’s time in New Anchorage. But Graham had repurposed it. ”Hit the lights.” A solitary generic NC stood in front of Graham and the pilots who were now catching up to his lead. Swiping his synth out of his mouth he turned to face them as smoke exited his lips. Graham cleared his throat and spoke loudly so all could hear. “Starting tomorrow what you know New Anchorage was is dead. There is work to be done. After tonight every single pilot will be expected to pass a physical evaluation that tests their perception, dexterity, strength, and endurance— this includes an obstacle course, firearms examination, psych analysis, simulator runs, and a review that involves this NC right here. This final test will require you as a NC pilot to demonstrate to me that you can get inside a mech without assistance. No ladders, no lifts, no stairs, nothing; just you and your hands and feet. If you do not pass all of these tests in thirty days you will be deemed unfit for duty and discharged from your contract.” He flicked the synth off as he put it back in his belt— his hands behind his back. “Alvarez will forward the schedule to all of you with the updated dossiers of your comrades. You have less than 24 hours to prepare, dread, or quit for the first day of real work. Impress me.” He looked at each of his pilots—trying to gauge their reactions as well as estimate which ones could achieve the task and which could not. Physicality was important; it played into NC efficiency. “Welcome to New Anchorage.” Ending the comment Graham decided to stay for a minute before leaving the pilots as is and returning to his office. “Good luck.”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,088	1,536	54	1,409	1,959	Agatha Smith& Stein KalfoxHangars, New Anchorage "Wow, that is certainly one way to set up an ultimatum." Whistling in undisguised appreciation, Agatha felt her respect for the Commander rise. It would have been a bit foolish to assume he would just take whoever comes without some screening process, and given the contracts they signed he'd probably confiscate their NCs if they failed so it wasn't a loss on his part. She might have been tempted to question the man himself, maybe reminisce about their first encounter, but at this point he wouldn't bother investing himself in someone who had yet to prove their worth. "Well, better get to working or get to dying. Time ain't with any of us." Offering a brief salute to their commander Agatha excused herself wordlessly before approaching the pilot she held the highest opinion of, largely for not involving themselves in the mess hall incident- She could not wait for what name the scuttlebut came up for it later on-, Stein Kalfox "Agatha Smith, pleased to meet you." She greeted, offering her hand to the pilot nearly a third her age. "Pardon my intrusion, but you seem the hardworking sort. Could you show me the ropes around here? I'd rather get to work now so we can get through this testing as smoothly as possible." “I could familiarize you with essential facilities and information, yes.” The blonde-haired girl replied back with little to no emotion in her reply as her eyes kept on Commander Graham in case he had anything more to say before he left them to their thoughts. Her reply was about as much as Agatha expected to get from the Ace. Definetly one of the prodigy types. No nonsense behavior in full force with this girl. Still, a unit needed someone who could be the rock in an emotional storm, and she was certain she would grateful to have someone like Stein up on the frontline in the future. "Thank you. Perhaps we could get some physical exercise in together? I'm nowhere near out of shape but I believe you would have a better grasp of the standards our Commander would set--" A sudden thought occured to her that her statement could possibly be misconstrued as a more promiscuous advance, and hoped she wouldn't make such an assumption.Stein wasn't the type of person you seduced, you earned their trust. Given that Agatha operated as a rather aggresive scout-sniper in the field, it was important that she could trust Stein to do her job just as much as it was for her to trust in Agatha. That kind of bond wasn't something brought forth from mutual attraction, but an understanding of each other's abilties and character that often came from extensive practice and training with each other. Stein turned her head as Agatha cut herself off, quizzical about the older woman's train of thought. There was a second of silence before the former Volkov pilot monotonously chuckled as she shook her head. “Before Graham there were little standards. No mandatory training, simulation, conditioning— I assure you this is new for New Anchorage.” Agatha let her hand return to her side as her thoughts turned quizzical as well. No training? Even as an independent Agatha had been expected to keep in shape, even if it was only a part of the pilot culture. There was a reason you never found a fat pilot, at least one that lived very long. Folding her hands comfortableybehind her back she let a competitive, but not condescending, smirk scratch across her face. She was a fellow pilot, not an elder or a grandmosther, and it was never a good idea to act superior until you earned the rank or proved your strength. At the moment, Agatha had done neither. "Well it looks like we are going to have to set the standards then, aren't we?" Stein eyed the woman, a small smirk rising on her lips. “I would imagine you are out of practice. If you require someone you could easily outpace I suggest challenging someone less adept.” Smirk broadening at the small fire lit under the former Volkov pilot, Agatha knew she had made the correct choice in approaching her. Stein may very well demolish Agatha in every test and leave her behind in every practise session, but she was confident she'd always be a close second so long as she had that bench mark to strive for. Heck, maybe Stein would find some new motivation as well, or risk being usurped from her lofty throne."If I was looking to bolster my ego I wouldn't be here at New Anchorage. I came to work, and if one of the qualifiers is being in the best damn shape of my storied life, then you can be certain that I will." “You could be worse off; many of our… comrades lack that discipline—” Stein’s eyes moved to that of another female pilot, the one that Agatha remembered introducing herself as Eli. “—but there are exceptions.” Following her gaze she landed upon the scarved pilot that irked her earlier. It wasn't fair by any stretch of the imagination to fault her for having the kid, but at the moment she was operating off her gut and past experience. It seemed to serve her well so far, but Agatha was aware it only went so far. Judgement would reserved till after she read up on the dossiers, but she would take the ace's commendation as a mark in her favor. The tightness in her features, however, told her to steer cleer of the pilot for the foreseeable future. That was a painfully familiar expression that left an old knife wound between two her ribs aching dully. “Hm. Give me a moment.” Agatha would then notice Stein's eyes shift again, this time to the NC that Graham had designated as their final test. Without a second comment the blonde-haired pilot began moving her feet forward to get a closer look at it. The aged lion wondered what was going through Stein's head as she gazed upon the final-- No, the penultimate test Graham had for them. Live combat was the true measure of their worth, after all. Was she envisioning her own assent? Could she already do it? Agatha flashed a predatory glimpse of her own teeth. Because I know I can.	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,089	1,536	55	1,469	281	JOE VERONAHANGAR, NEW ANCHORAGE Joe didn't like being subjected to tests, considering he had already shown what he was capable of in previous missions. As he thought about Graham's statement he noticed a possible loophole, allowing him to possibly circumvent negative consequences of the tests: Joe didn't think Graham had the authority to relieve him from his sentence to military service, but he couldn't be sure either. To clarify the situation, Joe followed Graham, and waited until everyone else was either too far away to listen, or busy with something else. Once the time had come he asked: "Pardon the question, commander, but I'd like to clarify whether or not my sentence interferes with the consequences of failing the tests." Graham paused as he turned around to look at him as the two stood in a corridor with only a small amount of soldiers nearby. ”There are complications Verona, yes, but it does not excuse you. The fact is while I cannot discharge you like I can any other member of this team, I will tell you that there will be consequences— one of which being that I won’t let you fly Swarm until you pass my tests.” "I thought so far, but thanks for the assurance." Joe replied, before returning to Unit 01 of the main hangar to continue working on his latest delivery. Before the end of the day he at least wanted to know whether or not he could build a prototype of a long-range-acoustic device from the speakers. Joe seemed to be immediately greeted by the engineer from before, Katarina Poux. “Oh hey! You’re back! I heard your lunch turned into an important meeting, huh?” With a sigh, he replied: "Correct, although it wasn't what I'd call useful." His tone changed back to normal: "So, how'd the tests go?" “Yeah, I can tell by your zombie-like expression! It must’ve been real boring! At least its over with, right? As for the tests things are off to a good start, though I am not sure why you want me to mount a rudimentary sonic cannon to your NC. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone trying to weaponize sound successfuly before— it's kind of genius really if you look at it from a weapon design perspective, but will it work? I wonder if it will work.” "Well I stumbled upon an article about it in an old archive a few days ago. At its time it was used as a nonlethal weapon against protesters, I mean who likes to stay around in a cone of 150 decibels? But no, that wouldn't be viable in an NC, on its own at least. However, I am sure you know about resonance, and the forces it can generate." “Well, duh! I mean who doesn’t know about resonance of generated force from an amplified sonic cannon? That's like kids stuff.” Joe smiled, he didn't expect less from an engineer, but as the son of an engineer, your knowledge about machines and physics usually eclipses that of other normal people: "Well, before we can get to work on the resonance frequencies of other NCs, we first need to get the speakers working, don't we? Before we get to work on the final array, I'd like to set up a prototype from seven speakers, as a proof of concept." “I can have a working station setup in one of the engineering labs in like thirty minutes, assuming the chief relieves me.” "Thank you, but for ease of access, I think the small prototype won't take up much space here, in case you can't get a spot right away." Kat nodded with a light sigh. “Though there are regulations now, so we cannot exactly use the space here. I’ll be back in a few!”	Name: Joe Verona Nicknames: Joe-it-all Role: Artillery/Hacking Text-color: edb25b Joe is the son of the mechanic Arin Verona, working in Smith's rest, which allowed Joe to get to see a few NCs in his life while his father was working on them. He also picked up a bunch of scientific knowledge regarding engineering from him. An old but still post-cataclysm computer was a gift for his 13th birthday; it only had a commandline interface, although it was possible for it to display and generate images. Especially the lack of a graphical user interface paved the way for Joe to learn much about computing with his remainder of a child's ability to learn complex systems quickly, given sufficient interest. About two years ago the financial situation of the family got really bad, so Arin decided to sell Joe's computer. Unfortunatly without consulting him first. The very same day Joe noticed and snapped, punching his father in the head during the rage which lasted only a few seconds before he regained control. The force of the punch was great enough to break his hand and permanently damage his father's brain. As a result of the damage, Arin's long-term memory is unable to store new memories, although previous memories from before that day remain unaffected.After he was assigned to Smith's Rest's NC squad as punishment(although he usually doesn't mention it), the first thing he did to his NC was intentionally crash it's software to have an easier time reconfiguring it to his liking. As he did not warn or tell the engineers, they were pretty surprised and angry at that move of his. On his first mission, he defeated 'Rook' an enemy NC alongside Percy(a fellow pilot at the time), and also shut down a broken down nuclear reactor while exposing himself to dangerous levels of radiation. No effects of radiation could be found at a medical examination after the mission, but he was advised to avoid radiation as much as possible. During his second mission, he noticed how much Swarm's weaponry depended on visual at the time, very thick fog could easily throw off the targeting laser, so he purchased a railgun for the Swarm. After the siege of Smith's Rest, the settlement was renamed to New Anchorage, and after some time Joe was scheduled to go on a mission, which he tried to use to escape from his punishment, but before he could set his plan into motion, the old captain of the team deserted, completely throwing off the entire schedule. Although he hasn't heard from her since, he is still on good terms with the former captain, and if she keeps her promise she made when she left, he will occasionally recieve letters from her. Once Graham became the commander of the team, they were expected to do combat simulations. However, Joe failed to plug into the simulations, the cause has yet to be determined. Later the same day, while Joe was trying to go after clues why he couldn't connect to the simulation, he stumbled upon the concept of a long range acoustic device, called 'sound-cannon' by some. He proceeded to purchase 200 high-powered speakers and 2 control circuit boards for them, hoping he could maybe recreate one, and if he could, possibly install it on his NC.Age: 26 Personality: Joe is usually the analytical type, using knowledge to his advantage. It is very hard to anger him, and if he is in a rage it only lasts for seconds, but during those seconds he is capable of anything, except staying calm and analytical. height: 1.79m normal weight, although closer to underwheight than to overwheight pale as a vampire Tactical preference/skills:Joe isn't really cut out for combat, mostly because his tendency to overanalize his situation lowers his reaction-time significantly; in some situations 2 seconds pass before he can react. As such he usually prefers to be in safe locations during a battle, being rather involved in communications, tactics or cyber-warfare(taking remote control of an enemy unit and the like). He is not a great tactitian despite his analytical nature though Neural Plug Synchronization: 77% Other things of note: NERD!!! Code-Name: Swarm A general humanoid, although armored and handless. Where the hand would normally be is instead a currently unoccupied weapon or utility slot Type/Quality: It acts as a ranged unit, taking out both grounded and airborn targets, preferably out of their range. Middling-low To ease targeting and target-prioritizing, the head is equipped if a more powerful radar, which can manually be focussed in any direction to increase its range in that direction a bit. The Swarm is equipped with 2 guidance systems: A cruise missile controller for precise strikes with single missles An IR-laser to aim at whatever a volley of heat-seekers shall target. The laser itself has not enough power to do any damage on its own The 22 missile launcher have a reload time of 40 seconds and it takes about 4 seconds to fire an entire volley of missiles. 1 Sys: VEKW-01.65 railgun (purchased) General Description: The Swarm Is a heavier, hunchbacked unit with an extreme focus on long range combat and defensive armaments. It features numerous long-range high mobility missile launchers, and it would have a high-powered plasma cannon in the waist, but that mount is currently unoccupied. As well, the Swarm has an interesting backpack design suited for aerodynamics and in-atmosphere flight speed, effectively meaning that while it's slow as mollasses on the ground, its actually sort of fast in the air. However, if the backpack was hit by a heavier weapon, due to speedy and shoddy construction, it does have a chance to damage the rest of the unit. Thus, the pilot should always point towards the enemy.
56,090	1,536	56	923	5,303	STEINHANGARS, NEW ANCHORAGE AFTERNOON While the conversation with Agatha was a pleasant surprise, Stein’s attention had shot back to Graham’s ultimatum— the tests and standards for which the NC pilots would be expected to live up to; expectations that felt more than familiar to the blonde-haired pilot. Unlike some of her peers who may have been panicking at the moment, Stein lacked the same internal emotions. Stein felt that at the very least that Graham was correct in that pilots would be expected to have their physique and mentality reviewed before going out in the field— there were mental and physical dangers elsewise. As for the generic piece of junk that was called a NC that laid in front of her that Graham described as the final test for his new rules applicable to the pilots? Thirty days? Tch. That’s not even a challenge. Her hands rose to the collar of her jacket as she looked over the NC. By her estimates it was around seven meters tall1, which was under-sized for a medium class NC when it came to the development of the technology considering the average medium class NC of the modern age was around ten to fifteen meters. The NC was probably around two centuries old if she had to make an estimated guess based on its condition, design, and the faded patchwork logo that read what Stein could make out as the DSS Corporation2. Another dead and gone independent corporation. I've never even heard of it. Stein’s synthweave jacket fell to the floor with a ‘thump’ as she took a step back before going into a half-sprint into the NC— jumping at the right moment as her gloved hands caught one of the metal panels on the right leg of the NC. Pulling herself upward she pushed her feet against another panel as she began to climb. Graham’s test wasn’t today and he had given the pilots some rest to prepare— but Stein considered this solid practice. She continued to climb. My last record for climbing a ten meter NC was eight minutes and seven seconds. Let’s go for seven minutes and six seconds. She pulled upward as she moved into a swing that brought her momentum around the leg until she flipped herself onto the top of it. She was already halfway there and it had been less than four minutes. The exercise was not there to impress, but simply only to do— how it affected her comrades, if they were even watching, was not really her concern. Stein was ready, she had been born that way. When she had been discovered to have the little talent that let people pilot NC’s her father had told her with hand on her shoulder that it was a sign of her talents and of her destiny. She had been chipper, excited, and optimistic going forward even after they drilled implants into her spine. She felt this was her purpose, and if her comrades saw it as showboating or inspirational didn’t matter. She wasn’t doing it for them. She was doing it for herself. The opinions of others were not important— the fulfillment of yourself and your purpose was. Stein took a light breath as she reached upwards as she grabbed a latch that stood on the top of the currently locked hub that held the smaller machine gun armament— her fingers gripping tightly as she pulled herself up while her other hand laid flat on the metal paneling next to it. To others below the next few moments seemed to go by with a flash as Stein turned the manual release hatch on the top of the machine thus forcing the mechanics of the mech to open the cockpit’s entrance right next to the sensor “hat”. It was then that Stein sat down on the top of the NC looking down at the people below. She looked at her watch. Six minutes and fifty seconds. Faster than I anticipated. Let’s try to beat it again before night call tonight. She smirked, happy at the result— it was as if, incidentally, the training session before lunch prepared her to not be sloppy. “Heh.” She muttered. 1: 24 feet. 2: Detroit Security Solutions was a minor corporation up until Fairbanks acquisition of it in the early 26th Century.	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,091	1,536	57	1,524	552	ELISimulation Room, New Anchorage The voice telling her to go to her room was still loud, and still right, but she ignored it all the same. The Commander would be expecting productivity, and if she just vanished after they'd gotten the outline for their test, well, it likely wouldn't have looked good no matter how she performed. Eli had wasted little time in leaving the hangar as soon as they were released. The firearms portion of the upcoming test was undeniably concerning. There really wasn't any other way to put it: she had no experience. They didn't have the money for guns, they had wooden planks and a carpenter friend of the family to whittle them into swords. With a blade it was simple, over time it became an extension of her arm, but she didn't know how to handle recoil, she didn't know how to aim properly, what stance to take or how to breath. She arrived, alone. It didn't surprise her that Vera had decided to remain behind, Eli assured her she was alright, though she hadn't apologized for snapping. Later, she promised herself. All of it can wait, all of it has to wait. Hands still shoved into her jacket to hide the trembling, Eli set her sights immediately on the simulation pods. "Lofgren," she said, a cursory glance shot towards the doctor. “Eli. It’s been a few days.” The voice of Doctor James Lofgren came from the behind her desk, her eyes glued to the monitor. “Is there something I could help you with?” "Put a simulation on loop. Which pod?" “That would require me to know what kind of simulation you need to practice with. VR? NC pod's? What kind of situation?” Eli instinctively wanted to ask for the NC simulation, perhaps in an effort to redeem herself, despite the fact that perhaps three people were aware of the last run. But then, the opportunity to knock out two birds with one stone was both tempting and objectively the smarter choice. She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, once, twice. "Start with VR." “Scenario? Difficulty?” "Invasion, defense, surprise me." A twinge of regret sparked through her when she said it, but it was too late to back out. She didn't need a handholding, she needed to pass the test without humiliating herself. There was a few strokes of the blue-haired woman’s mechanical keyboard as Eli told her the variables she wanted— though given the last time she “surprised” Eli it ended up pretty poorly for her. She didn’t protest the pilot’s pseudo-masochism in choosing Lofgren’s own need to test the mental brink of her subjects. “Prefrence for your starting equipment?” "Kukri, make the blade forearm length, a serrated bowie, and..." Eli's brow went low, she tried to run through the list of firearms she knew off the top of her head, and found it disappointingly short. "A SAP...handgun. Fourteen." “I’ll warm up the VR room, I’ll sync your neural plug into the program.” More strokes on the keyboard, “Ever been in VR before?” "Does it matter?" “Interesting. VR is very vivid, but you’ve been in pods so you might adapt well enough. Much more organic— feels like you are actually moving. The injuries sustained are recieved at a threshold that is double your sync rate; as the pain receptors go directly to your central neural plug to simulate real-time. Commaner Graham nearly spent half of his personal cashflow into New Anchorage to make it up to date. It makes our NC pods seems two-hundred years old. Which... well, they are. But that is besides my point,, Eli.” She paused for a moment as she looked away from the computer to Eli. “In short, it will hurt like hell.” Eli matched eyes with the doctor, clicked her tongue again. She hadn't forgotten their last exchange, the doctor's snide remarks were fresh in her mind, alongside every justifiable criticism she'd ever recieved. "If I get hit." “Indeed.” She looked back down at her computer, “It is ready— large door at the back of the lab. You can’t miss it. Good luck.” Good luck, Eli didn't need luck, she didn't want luck, luck wouldn't protect the people in New Anchorage. Luck was a handicap for the untrained, if she succeeded, it would not be at the hand of some cosmic fluke. Her victories were hers, earned, taken. With that, Eli shed her coat and scarf, pushing her hands into her pockets and making her way into the room.	Elizabeth Jackspar Age 21 Role Melee Skirmisher Appearance A life dedicated to training has left Eli with a lean, athletic form. An albino, her skin is chalk-white, her long hair a similar color, and her eyes holding a glassy-blue hue. She has a hard gaze and straight posture, like a soldier constantly at attention. Despite this, she’s prone to wearing civilian clothes when things are quiet. Scarves strike her fancy, and she’ll often wear them high on her neck over her mouth, but she’s also prone to gloves and arm warmers. Personality Cold and dismissive to anyone that isn’t her superior, compliant and dutiful to all others with an underlying layer of competitiveness beneath everything. A quick, calculating mind and fast reflexes make Eli a good soldier, but little else unfortunately. In her early teenage years, Eli began suffering from severe and sudden panic attacks, often leaving her an unresponsive wreck. Not knowing how such incidents would affect her daughter's future, her mother went to great lengths to keep the affliction a secret from future potential employers. After a handful of years the attacks decreased in both frequency and intensity without professional assistance, which made concealing them much easier. Tactical Preference/Skills Eli excels in melee combat, preferring swords to firearms and speed to durability. While her specialty is quick execution, she can handle prolonged confrontations, especially against a single opponent. Background ”Eli” Eli was eight years old when she learned her name was short for “Elizabeth”. Her mother, the librarian recluse Celina Jackspar, had used it once, the first time she’d cried during her training. ”Get up, Elizabeth. Now. And never cry in front of me again.” And she never did. The Jackspars might have been lepers for how little they interacted with the world. Confined to a modestly sized library nestled in the corner of what was then “Smith’s Rest”, few ever visited, and fewer were actually aware the spindly, aged woman had a child. With little to their name aside from cases and piles of books, it would not have been unreasonable to assume the family would contribute nothing great to the world. Celina would not allow such an outcome. The training began early, and never slackened. Eli learned from a young age what she was, and would be. She did not attend school, she did not socialize with peers, she rarely left the library at all. Her life was dedication, she had to let go of the urges to want, and focus entirely on the future. ”Up.” And she got up. The Jackspars could afford no firearms, and so forewent practicing them. Instead it was decided that Eli would master the art of melee combat in their absence. Lyosha Voloshyna, a carpenter and one of the family’s only “friends”, happily supplied them with wooden models of various swords, ranging from the typical and familiar, to the foreign and unique. Eli was made to train with them day in and day out. They would not be weapons held, they would be extensions of her own body, or she would fall short. Countless other prospective pilots had the advantage of proper training, they could afford to be merely “adequate” so long as they rounded out a checklist and passed the neural exam. ”I don’t want you on-par, I want you better. Keep going.” And she would. Hour after hour Eli practiced, submitting herself to the forms and tests of balance. By the time she was in her middle teens, picking up a sword felt like raising her hand, swinging felt like punching. Her threshold for pain was pushed further each day, and every time she kept her mouth shut, kept her face calm, she would catch the ghost of a smirk flicker over her mother’s face. Moving had become a dance, and she was the prima. When she was fifteen, a practice sword broke in her hand, splintering midway down the blade. It was old, nothing unexpected, and the shattering caused her no physical harm. All the same Eli froze, wide eyes fixated on the broken blade, and her arm, then the girl collapsed in a fit of agony. Celina watched, shocked. ”Get up.” But she didn’t. ”Elizabeth, get. Up.” But she couldn’t. It took all of her strength not to cry. It was her first major incident, and the only one Celina ever saw. It took a few years to realize they weren’t going to stop, and seeking professional psychiatric help would murder Eli’s chances at becoming a pilot, so Celina resolved to handle the situation in her own way. Eli knew Eli. Celina knew Elizabeth. ”Stop shaking.” And she would. The final years leading up to application were smooth by Celina’s standards. Her daughter was sharp, fast, resilient, and above all, obedient. She would protect Smith’s Rest, she would protect its people, and she would do so under the instruction of whosoever commanded the forces. Second to her, of course. ”Don’t disappoint me.” And she wouldn’t. -Helped defeat Knight and Rook alongside Percy Moore, Madison Cole, John Strange, and Joe Verona -Took on her younger sister, Vera, as an “assistant” -Bonded with the previous commander, Sophia -Suffered a gruesome defeat at the first assault on Smith’s Rest -Shaken by Sophia’s desertion Text Color: color=6ecff6 Example. Blur :Body-Plan: Blur is a humanoid, bipedal NC, designed to move and strike quickly. Its armor is lacking, but a myriad of thrusters allow not only for fast evasive maneuvers, but also for gap-closing on enemies. :Type/Quality: Blur is designed to be an up-close-and-personal NC, meant to close in on key targets before engaging in a melee assault. In this, Blur excels, and should the enemy be unequipped for close-range combat, they may have trouble. However range is her crux, and while Blur is good at evading enemy fire, should one corner her from far enough away, there is little she can do to get out of the situation. Though Eli would never admit it, Blur works best with, and sometimes even requires a team. :Equipment: -Sets of thrusters allowing for enhanced mobility and sustained flight. -Flare caches for more difficult evasive maneuvers. -Targeting system designed to track a single enemy and suggest/allocate NC power to close the distance in the quickest/most effective manner. Suggestions are automatic, control/execution is manual. :Armaments: -Standard-Issue NC Beam Sword -PPB-2.71 “Plasma Sword” (Purchased) -Deployable “Finger-Claws” (New-Anchorage Custom) -Set of demolition charges sized for NC's. The charges are kept as two separate components that are combined individually in their storage to become armed as needed, so as to avoid detonation from trauma to the housing NC. --- Vera Voloshyna (Left, Ana Moore. Right, Vera Voloshyna) Age 13 Appearance Vera’s short, her blonde hair equally so, and her eyes are vibrant, lively green. She’s taken to dressing like Eli in some cases, with scarves and hoodies and the like, and generally has smudges of dirt or oil on her face. One of her front teeth bears a chip to it. Personality Vera is both easily excitable and hard to bring down. The girl almost always has a smile on her face whether something fun is happening or not, and tends to be more on the gullible side. Background Vera’s parents were at Smith’s Rest long before she was born. Her mother was a doctor, and as Vera understands it she helped Ms. Jackspar deliver her daughter not long after their arrival, and it wasn’t until more than a decade later that she herself was born. Their families grew close, and Ms. Jackspar took on a completely different, warmer persona around the Voloshynas. When Vera was two, she spent much of her time being babysat by them, when she was five, she had managed to befriend Ms. Jackspar’s daughter, Elizabeth. When she was six, her parents vanished. The family had received threats multiple times over the course of their stay from residents none too fond of the Russian Volkov Security. The Voloshyna’s tried in vain to explain they held no part in the company’s actions, but when at last the threats turned to violence, they had no choice. The letters never addressed their daughter, perhaps because she spent so much time with the Jackspars it was assumed she was just another one of them. Regardless, when Vera’s parents fled they took the opportunity to leave her in the care of their friend, who agreed without complaint or protest. The girl did the rest of her growing up around Elizabeth, and the two grew incredibly close. She did not receive the same harsh training as Elizabeth but Ms. Jackspar did teach her a few tricks to keeping well in the settlement. -Due to an increasingly dangerous home environment, Celina sent her to "assist" Eli on-base. -Survived the assault on Smith's Rest Text Color: color=662d91 Example.
56,092	1,536	58	1,700	2,624	T A H L I A S T Y L E S Hangar #08 - New Anchorage Tahlia listened to Graham's last words, noting that there would be a physical evaluation and that they had only one month to train before they needed to participate in this test. She smiled to herself, knowing that for the most part she would be able to pass many of the required tasks. All she had to do was brush up on the skills that she learnt from back home and make sure that her time away from the Land Down Under hadn't had any overall impact. There was however one issue that she was not pleased about. A seven meter tall issue that stood right in front of where Tahlia had ended her tour. The last time Tahlia had stepped into a true bipedal NC was when she was in her teenage years. While the physical appearance may have been similar to what the AFW Mk.8 in Bipedal mode, the internals was where everything changed with the thought process being very different. It was different in the same way that a car and a motorbike were different. Everyone knows how to use the indicator and when to check the mirrors, but the added difference was understanding how to balance the vehicle, that the gear changes are on foot pedals, and the accelerator is in the wrist controls. "So this is why they are issuing me a loan NC," Tahlia spoke out, as she watched Stein bound up the monster like an ape climbing a tree. It wasn't the only reason as Tahlia knew that her NC would need a fair amount of work in order to bring it back up to spec, but this new piece of knowledge was a major hurdle indeed. She turned away, pushing her bag back up onto her shoulder, and slowly walked down the open hangar until she eventually ended up at her bay. Hangar Bay #08. Tahlia's feet came to a standstill, landing on a channel grate at the hangar entrance with a echoing chime as she looked up and saw the toy that she had learnt to play with for several, long years. The brown and gunmetal grey NC loomed over two men who were at it's base, sitting at a table, on milk crates, with a deck of cards between them. They paused for a moment, looking up at the unusual woman that was standing at the open entrance. "Is this your beat-up pile of crap?" One of the men called out, checking to see if Tahlia was the pilot. Tahlia walked towards the table with a smile on her face, "Yep. Won't deny it. She's cactus alright." She picked up a third crate and dropped it on the ground next to the table, taking a seat with the two others and tapped the surface with her fingers, indicating that she wanted a set of cards dealt to her. They looked at her with a curious gaze, noting the jacket that she was wearing and her obvious Asian appearance. "So then you're Tahlia Styles, I assume," the individual with the deck in his hand spoke out, giving a reverse introduction and dealing out a pair of cards to each of them. Tahlia nodded as she noted the 5 face down cards that were placed in the centre of the table, making it now obvious that she had entered into a Texas Hold'em match. She asked back, "And you two are?" "Philip," Philip flipped the first card over, showing it's face value. "Thomas," Thomas pushed a pile of nuts and bolts over to Tahlia, giving her some chips to play with. "We got allocated Hangar #08 so it looks like we'll be working under you, Miss Styles." "Since you already know my name, then I assume you've read up about what needs to be done to my NC?" Tahlia picked up the cards, holding them hidden and checking out the face values. "Naturally, but it doesn't look good. Going to need a LOT of parts to get this puppy back to life. Dead Fuel Cell, every weapon has some form of damage, and your Trakdar System is filled with software bugs. We also heard that you'll be practising your sync in the old Mad-e unit over there." Thomas pointed his finger to a hangar further down from which the Mad-e could just be seen sticking out of, "Shame really, cause young Madison is still in a coma, meaning that the NC hasn't been used since her incident. When you're ready, just give us a shout and we'll set it up for you." "Alrighty then. So tell us a bit more about this place and the pilots. We'll look at starting work on my NC tomorrow, but for now... I need a break from the clowns I've been stuck with all day." The two men chucked lightly as they each started to place their bids.	Name: Jan van Gent Appearance:Jan stands at 1.65 meters tall. He has fair skin, dark-blonde hair styled shortly and combed to the side. He has little standards concerning the clothes he wears, usually wearing whatever he managed to get on the cheap from a clothes vendor. The only criterium to him is that something needs to be functional. It doesn't need to be pretty or graceful, it just needs to work. Age: 27 Role: Flanking/ counter-CQC Personality :A rash and boorish man by nature. Jan is a spirited individual with a somewhat cruel streak to his actions. He doesn't particularly mind if other people are served by his actions, but is ultimately mostly in it for himself. Despite this though, he places great value on loyalty and mutual respect, even if it is for the slightly pragmatic reason that a long-time partner is the best partner. Backstory: A storied and grizzled independent. Jan van Gent was never part of the big five, instead operating with all sorts of factions all over the world as a mercenary contractor. He has probably fought with and against every major player on the current global stage, switching allegiances in quieter periods when hsi current employer's funds dried up, though always taking care not to antagonize anyone enough to draw the wrong sort of attention. A recent stint as a volkov subcontractor saw Jan assigned to New Anchorage. Political machinations above his control then saw volkvov retract their support, with jan's contract being terminated in the fallout. Jan simply shrugged and renegotiated a direct contract with New Anchorage's commander. Just another day on the job. Tactical Preference & Skills: Jan has great proficiency and experience at spotting and exploiting oppurtunities in a tactical situation. He has very good aim with all equipped weapons even at high speeds. He can concentrate on whatever his current target is without anything feasibly breaking his stride, though he is suspectible to a sort of tactical tunnel vision as well. Notes: Jan returns from the previous thread. Text Color: None due to player bias/laziness NC Codename: Goldenspur Appearance: The goldenspur is a grizzled mercenary machine, much like its pilot. Its frame is painted a muted black with gold details. While standing upright, its silhoutte is very visible due to its signature custom-built shoulder plates, somewhat resembling the skeletal wings of the winged hussar cavalry of old. These shoulder plates are folded over the NC's backside when in standby, but stretch to their full impressive length when shoulder weapons are deployed. Body & Type: A medium-class tank body. Original manufacturer is difficult to determine due to the amount of disparate custom parts mixed and matched to create the NC. Armor plating has been stripped and replaced with ligther variants on all sides save for the front to allow for greater manouverability. The NC has the unusual ability to fold downwards into a threaded tank-vehicle designed for speed and getaways. Equipment & Armaments: Goldenspur's main armament is a high-power plasma lance designed to punch through heavy armor and inflict catastrphic damage on internal systems. It requires a long pre-charge time and consumes most of the reactor's energy output when fired, also requiring a cooldown period afterwards. The goldenspur has two standard grade gimballed autoguns mounted on its shoulders. Energy consumption on them is low, and the caliber is sufficient to deal with most non-NC targets as well as posing a threat to NCs with lighter armor. In terms of defensive measures, the goldenspur has a standardized ECM array to deal with fire and forget missiles, a radar dampening coating on its armor, and a set of smoke launchers to disrupt visual contact. The smoke has a peculiar chemical composition that disperses lasers fired through it.
56,093	1,536	59	1,409	1,959	Agatha SmithHangar, New Anchorage An excited thrill shot up Agatha's spine as she watched Stein take to climbing the clunker NC like an ape to the jungle. It seemed to her that Stein was itching to get to work, a sentiment that was most certainly shared between the two. Her mind was already working out the best course up the mech. Opting to take a different course than that of the Ace, Agatha moved to stand behind the NC's opposite leg. . "You know, I think I've scrapped a few of these over the years." She snickered while rolling her shoulders to try and ease the kinks in her back from the long train ride over. Unlike Stein, she didn't benefit from having recently completed a heady workout session, but that wouldn't stop Agatha from performing such a banal task. Capitalizing on years of experience and having an extra inch over Stein in the height department, Agatha crouched and leapt for the joint in the NC's leg. There really wasn't a need for conscious thought in her ascent. While she only had about fourteen years of experience under her belt in combat, which she was concerned for how the others would take that news, she hadn't stopped operating her NC one bit over the course of her retirement. Given that the Charon stood proudly at thirteen meters tall from top to toe, she was confident she could have done this with her eyes closed. Having pulled herself onto the joint she found there was enough room to rise to her feet and shimmy up the leg strut till she could reach the cannon affixed opposite the machine gun Stein had traversed. The differences in their methodology for scaling the NC was apparent to the aged pilot. Stein had the edge in acrobatics and likely endurance as well. Oh, Agatha could probably outrun Commander Graham, knowing his lungs would give out long before hers, but Stein probably took just as much care of her body as Agatha did at her age and was bolstered by being in the prime of her life. Still, while Agatha wasn't an equal in endurance, she compensated with experience and bursts of energy. Pulling herself up onto the cannon, she smoothly rose to her feet, finding an easy balance atop the rounded barrel. A short hop brought her to the sloped top of head of the NC. Walking around the seated Ace she knelt beside the manual release hatch and forced it back into the default position, sealing the cockpit once more. Agatha sat down with her back to Stein, though not being so forward as to lean against her. "Hmm, that felt closer to eight minutes than seven. Mind if I ask you time my next run? It's a bit of a pain keeping track of time while I climb, and I'm not quitting until I can do this with one hand tied behind my back." Who knows when you had to scale your NC with a broken arm? Or firing your sidearm at an invading force? Or carrying a wounded comrade? Victory favores the prepared, and survival favores the victorious. Her voice turned teasing as she glanced back over her shoulder. "Unless you are giving up for the day after just one climb?"	AGATHA SMITH Appearance: Standing at 5’6”, Agatha has sharp features and a smile that could cut an NC to ribbons. Hair once flaxen has long since gone gray, which is pulled into a loose bun. Deep set green eyes and a pointed nose. Some people have told her she has the face of a 1st grade Math teacher who takes joy in assigning homework over the weekend. While not a weight lifter, she has a solid frame from years of hard work on the surface. Tends to wear a faded burgundy vest over an oil stained grey jumpsuit. Age: 58 Role: Scout Sniper Personality: Agatha is a restless woman who finds there is no worse fate than finding yourself without purpose. Give’s 110% percent to everything she does, and is a strong proponent of clean living, or as clean as one can get outside the burrows. Carries herself with a wizened air of experience that comes with age, not book smarts. Could be described as desperate in search for a cause, desperate enough to come to Anchorage. Doesn't acknowledge her own bitterness with having settled down and giving up on piloting. Feels like she lost out on something important, but can't besmirch her husbands memory or their daughters to disregard their lives together as unimportant. Biography: Born and raised on the surface, Agatha always knew she was a special snowflake. At the bizarrely typical age of 14, she was found compatible to pilot an NC. Like so many before her she was drawn into piloting a bipedal weapon of mass destruction and had many mercantile adventures as an independent NC operator that aren’t worth recollection. The kinds of adventures that blur together but can often be summed up as, ‘Go to exotic locations, meet interesting people, and kill them’. Throughout her ventures she had a loyal mechanic who would have followed her to hell and back by the name of Albert Smith. He wasn’t particularly handsome or clever, but he was loyal, sweet, and won over her affections through his perseverance. At 27 Agatha was married, by 28 she had a daughter and another on the way. Finding their means of employment too dangerous to foster a family, they decided it was prudent for Agatha to set aside the adventuring for a more sedentary lifestyle. Investing their considerable saving towards setting up shop in a scrapyard, Agatha began a new life as a mother and family woman. For years, that was good enough. All the effort she had put forth piloting her NC was directed towards running the scrapyard and raising her kids. There wasn’t the same rush that came with piloting a multi-ton automaton, but she was satisfied for a time. Then the children grew up, and left the nest to find out their own destinies. To be the special snowflakes that have fantastical opportunities all lined up for the taking if they only go out and claim them. Her husband of 29 years had grown ill and passed peacefully in his sleep. That left Agatha, with a job she didn’t care for and no one relying upon her. Most would have considered this time to retire, settle down and indulge herself before the inevitable end, but she couldn’t. Even with the best years of her life in the past, she knew she had more to give. Firing up the old NC, which had been used as a makeshift crane for the scrapyard, she went out to recapture her lost glory, but found there wasn’t any demand for someone so long out of the game. The only ones as desperate as she was where the good folks down at New Anchorage, and they just so happened to be looking for any pilot that would come their way. Tactical Preference: Specializes in the collection and dissemination of tactical information with the armaments to capitalize on this knowledge with unparalleled veracity from long range. Relies upon heavy thrusters to facilitate rapid repositioning to out maneuver and evade enemy forces. Word Color: Teal 008080 NC Codename: Charon Body Type: Moderately armored bipedal NC specialized towards ease of movement and relocation. Meant to be a Sniper who repositions with each shot and endeavors to flank an enemy rather than engage from extreme long range at a stationary position. The armor isn't enough for front line combat, but is sufficient to keep Charon active while exposed during relocation. Equipment: -Powerful, back mounted thruster pack for explosive bursts of propulsion meant for either rapid ascent on a vertical plane or dashing forward to cover long distance in a short time. -Advanced Targeting suite to magnify targets up to 60x and offer thermal and night vision capabilities at range. Will paint targets viewed through optics with a marker that will be relayed to friendly units. Armaments: - PXS-8.0 'Opticor' Super heavy Maser rifle. - leg mounted dumb fire rocket pods. 2 pods per leg, 12 rockets each. - Shoulder mounted smoke grenade launcher.
56,094	1,536	60	1,365	7,516	ALEXANDER SKYHANGAR, NEW ANCHORAGE Alexander held his temples as the others talked. Physical tests, battle training, climbing a junk NC; all of those were making him dizzy. He would have been enthusiastic before, but the hits to the head kinda blocked any desire for exertion at present. So, he went to the nearest staff member, and asked for directions to his designated quarters in the pilot's section of the barracks. Once he recieved them, as well as a passkey to his room, the twenty-four year old began walking, trying to will himself to get past the pain and depression. As he arrived to his room without incident, he would find that his luggage had been neatly set down inside the chamber, but right now, the young man just wanted to...sleep. Slumping down on the bed, the NC Pilot began to get some attempt at rest. However, despite his exhaustion his anxiety and dread would take form in his subconciousness and the dream he would begin having slowly twisted itself into a nightmare. In a cold and sterile surgeon's room, filled with the smell of antibiotics and cleaning agents, the six-year old was lying down on a bed, clad only in a hospital gown; the situation was meant to be humiliating without being indecent. Looking at him were three surgeons, whose masks and protective wear made them look identical except for their eyes. The strong lights above outlined them, making them look more shadowy than they really were. The space was large, slightly more so than necessary, so as to produce fear in those taken to it. "To think that a gaijin slave like him would be compatible with one of our NCs..." the leftmost doctor said, in a tone of disbelief. "And a son of mere infantryfolk, too!" "Nevertheless," said the central doctor, "we're implanting the plugs into him right now - why?" "So that he would remember the pain," the rightmost doctor said, "It's basic; a child wants to avoid pain, and would, when faced with someone capable of inflicting that pain, try and please them in order to not get hurt." "That's better," said the leftmost surgeon. "We're teaching him his place. So, no anastethic?" "None," the central doctor then turned Alex over, exposing his back to full view. The other surgeons then strapped the six-year old to the bed, and stuffed a small gag into his mouth in order to prevent him from biting his own tounge in the following moments. Then, the boy saw a glimpse of steel -- And the world filled with pain. "Don't hurt me, don't hurt me," Alex tossed and turned over on his bed, "please..." "But if I'm to be a pilot," Alexander, one year later, was now asking, "why can't I get an NC till I'm eighteen?" "You need to be prepared," Present!Alexander could not remember the source of the voice, "you see, people think that just because you have white skin, that you will turn against us." "I won't!" shouted Alexander, "I'm a good slave!" "That you are," the voice was sounding more feminine now. "You will serve us well." A hand, with two pills on the palm. "Now, swallow them; be a good slave," and Alexander took a glass of water - in the flashback, it had just appeared, and then drank obediently, before lying down on a bed in a fugue state. The next dream was set in a sterotypical Australian Desert, and was about Tahlia, the Half-Asian beauty saying: "Obey, slave," before she pulled out a whip from out of nowhere, and began hitting Alexander as he held out his arms to shield his face. "You are nothing," she then kicked him on the stomach and shins, forcing him down to the ground. "You are beneath me. Are you scared, little boy? Because I'm going to give you something to fear." "No!" Alexander then pulled out his Jian - from where he also didn't know - and cut 'Tahlia' in half, causing her to disperse into motes of darkness...which then reformed into Graham. "Insubordinate. Child. Spoiled By Overindulgent Employers. Immature. You Deserve Nothing," the man was saying, stone-faced. Alexander sheathed his Jian and strapped it onto his back, before saying: "Is this what you call order?! What use is law if it cannot give future generations a life better than present ones?!" In response, Graham smirked... then turned into Percy just as the scene turned into the New Anchorage Mess Hall again. "I don't like you, you're a creep," 'Percy' was now saying, "and you did nothing for me. Go away and never approach me again." The sound of soft footsteps were heard, and suddenly, Joe was behind Alexander. "No one cares about you," the thin, vampire-like man was now saying to the brunette. "None of us oldies care about you, none of your fellow new pilots care about you, no one likes you, you're alone." "Just go and commit suicide already." Alexander tried to wake up, to banish the dreams, but he couldn't; his body was demanding that he stay asleep. So he stayed, he stayed in the nightmare.	Name Alexander Sky Appearance Age 24 Role I'd love to be Assault, but that's taken. Personality Alexander is embittered and cynical, as well as someone who feels guilt over crimes he committed in his old life, back when he was brainwashed - said crimes involve sending a captured 16-year old pilot to be tortured and enslaved just after his first mission, an action repeated many times in his career as a corporate slave. Even now, he is skeptical of New Anchorage's intentions, as well as its prospects of being a world power; he can see how power can corrupt even the most well-meaning, as well as the odds stacked against the settlement. However, he resents the corporations, especially Red-Star, more, and is willing to work for New Anchorage because it really is a better alternative. Backstory Alexander Sky's parents were Europeans from Paragon or Volkov who had been captured by Red-Star in inter-corporate struggles, and enslaved (not that they weren't slaves already). Forced to breed in captivity, they concieved Alexander, who, from a young age, was, yes, precociously intelligent, but also obedient, with a submissiveness enhanced through brainwashing that began from a young age (six or so). He was taught that he was an inferior being due to his European origins as well as his parents' prior opposition to Red-Star, and that the only way he can make up for his inferiority is to obey his masters in all things, including piloting an NC one day against the enemies of Red-Star. One day, he got that chance, being given an NC called the Phoenix, which he customized to his specifications; his first taste of freedom. Piloting it through several missions where he served the Red-Star faithfully, capturing many pilots to share his fate of enslavement, while at the same time...doubt grew in his mind, doubt that he was doing the right thing. Even 'remedial' brainwashing seemed to delay the onset of the doubts only slightly, but as his successes grew, Red-Star decided to use Alexander for as long as possible, then kill him once he was no longer useful and take his mech to give to another. But not even they can count on the speed with which their 'pet' pilot just...snapped. One day, on one of his last solo missions, a solo mission intended to be a suicide operation, Alexander vanished. His tracking devices just no longer worked, his mech no longer sent in comms, to everyone, the only proof that he wasn't dead were the fact that they never found the mech or his corpse, as well as a message of apology he sent his former Operator, a message that said: I am sorry, but I realize now, that I cannot be a slave anymore, that freedom and independence, although they carry risks, are sweet for those who would hold on to them. That I no longer want to serve Red-Star and make war for them. I want to fight for myself now, no one else. You have been a kinder person than my other masters, but I want no master now, no one to bind me. Rumors would appear of Alexander acting as an Independent, attacking Red-Star assets as a mercenary. In time, however, his first true concrete appearance would be at New Anchorage, offering his services as a pilot in exchange for sanctuary... Tactical Preference & Skills Alexander is a jack-of-all-trades, master of one - assault and melee combat, where he excels in tearing off the weapons of enemy mechs, so as to enable them to be captured. Away from his mech, the young man has picked up an array of skills both combat and non-combat; combat ones include pistols, and carbines; no harder arms, although Alexander is good with the Jian (Chinese Longsword). He is also moderately skilled in unarmed combat (a mix of various martial arts). However, where he truly shines is outside of combat, where he knows History (at least what can be known), Cooking, and playing the Violin. Notes Alexander has a 90% Sync Ratio. Alexander is Bisexual, but this will be rarely explored, as this is an Action RP. Nope, Alexander is one of those 'Lovable Sex Maniacs'. Alexander's Theme Song Text Color Default NC Codename Phoenix Appearance Body & Type Bipedal-Hover Equipment & Armaments Anti-laser/sensor Chaff launchers, wheeled feet. Weapons: Righthand Thermal-claw gauntlet, Heatray, Armor-piercing grappling hook, Left-arm internal SMG
56,095	1,536	61	1,318	425	PERCY MOOREHANGAR, NEW ANCHORAGE Good luck? Percy's mouth was agape. Are you kidding me? That's all you're gonna fucking give us? He continued to stand there, just staring at the monster in front of him. He's supposed to climb that with no ropes? No ladders? Nothing to keep him from dying if he fell? Is Graham out of his goddamned mind? He shuts his mouth, answering himself just as quickly, Why do I bother questioning these people's sanity anymore? They're all nuts. How could ANYONE climb that thing and not slip, fall, and shatter their head on the floor? Nobody is going to pass that! Then he saw Stein going for it, feeling the subtle vibrations of her sprinting forward. He immediately shouted, "Stein!" attempting to grab her before she got herself hurt, or killed, but she was too fast. He put his hand to his mouth and just watched in horror as she started the climb, silently praying that he wouldn't have to run and break her fall with his entire body.. He probably wouldn't be a very nice cushion anyway. They'd both probably get hurt then. As he continued to watch, the horror turned into shock, then fascination quickly followed by defeat as he noticed Agatha climbing just as well as Stein was. He sat down to watch the two for however long it took, trying to comprehend how in the hell he'd ever be able to do that. He climbed trees as a kid just fine, sure, but they were never that tall. They were maybe half that? Less, even? Plus he always had his parents to catch him if he fell. There wasn't anything to break the high fall if they were to slip. As the two made it to the top, he felt absolutely defeated. An old woman climbs better than I do. he covered his face with his hands. I really should've just become an engineer. ANA MOORE and VERA VOLOSHYNA BARRACKS, NEW ANCHORAGE HALLWAY Vera didn't like leaving Eli alone, especially when she was making bogus promises about being alright, but she'd learned well enough over the years that arguing with her was more than just hard, it was pointless. Later she'd check the room, but until then, Vera had other things on her mind, like the incident in the mess hall. Holding attention through that was... tough, to say the least, and it was tougher watching Ana run off like she had. If Percy was going to be preoccupied, she figured someone should make sure she felt at least a bit safe. Then again, she'd likely have run by anyway, it was practically reflex. She didn't have trouble navigating the facility alone anymore, the explorations had paid off well, and she was at the barracks outside the Moore's room before long. She thought about trying to open it and go right in, that was how she handled Eli, but Ana had specific instructions, rules were safe, she'd follow them. So instead, Vera gently tapped her knuckles against the metal. "Ana? It's me, you in there?" she asked, voice soft. Ana very nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the knocking, letting out a shout of surprise, grabbing for a pillow to protect herself with. She felt a little dumb for doing so when she heard Vera. How would a pillow protect me anyway? It'd be like hitting them with a cottonball. She let herself breathe and steady her voice before she answered. "Yeah," she waited a moment for a response, then decided to stand up and walk over to the door, going to open it. She hesitated just as her fingers touched the knob. Percy said not to open it for anyone but him, but Vera's not Graham, or anyone else. Vera's nice, and cool, and fun, and not that much bigger than her. She stood there for another second before unlocking and turning the knob and opening the door to Vera could come in. "Hi." Stay relaxed, keep your hands out, just move slow. Vera smiled, offering a slight wave but staying put. "Hey, how're ya feelin'? You can keep the door closed if you want." "No, come in, it's fine," Ana opened the door more so Vera could get in. When the blonde did, she shut and locked the door behind her. "The tour's over," Vera walked around Ana, giving as wide a space as she could on her way to the bed. "Your dad made it through alright." Ana noticed how much space that Vera was giving her and looked at her quizzically for a moment - usually she's not that particular about space. Maybe it's cause I'm weird, was Ana's first thought, but she dismissed that pretty quickly. It was stupid to think that. It was more than likely cause of what had happened in the mess hall. She sat down with Vera on the bed, swinging her legs a little bit as she replied, "Good to know." She stayed quiet a moment before her face changed from neutrality to disappointment. She got to thinking about Graham, and his behavior when she had risen her voice. He was scary before, but when he looked at her like he was ready to smack her to the floor like she did her dad, he was so much worse. She spoke again, in a quieter voice, "I thought that Graham was alright." "Yeah?" Vera took the opportunity to scoot closer. "I think he's kind of a dick...don't tell Lizzy I said that." Ana gasped when Vera said 'dick', a little bit of a smile showing. Her disappointment and sadness immediately shifted to a giggly disbelief, "You can't say that, that's dirty." Vera skipped the giggling phase and went straight to laughing. "This whole place is dirty, did you see the food? I bet it's still alive." Ana's giggling got louder and sounded more like laughter than just giggles, "Veraa..!" the redhead gave her a gently friendly shove. The older girl let herself fall back on the bed, still in her fit. She'd been worried that Ana might have been locked up in herself, to see her laughing and joking was a definite relief. "So did you uh..." she sat up, tugging the ushanka back into place. "Did you know about the whole...testing thing?" Ana's laughter faded before Vera had asked. "Well.. I, uh.. I think I heard Graham talk about a test once, but I didn't think it had anything to do with.. us. Dad says that being a pilot's really dangerous. I dunno if I'd wanna do that. I didn't even know people our age could do it. I thought it was an adult thing, like guns and those magazines with the pretty women in them.. You've seen those magazines right? The women are really pretty. Dad got mad at me cause I looked through one once." Ana stopped herself before she could ramble on about it too much. She went way off topic and she knew it. Her reddened face showed that she knew she did, but it could easily be taken as embarrassment about talking about it with her friend. She looked at her hands clasped together in her lap and twidled her thumbs trying not to add to the awkward. Vera cleared her throat, hand rubbing the back of her neck like the room had gone cold. This was not the conversation she expected. "Yeah the uh...I guess it's kinda like that...Except wait, wait no no it's nothing like that, we can't do that. Don't do that." She got up fully, and desperately grabbed at her thoughts for a way to push the topic on. Poor Ana looked like a tomato. "I dunno, it just feels like one of those things that was... super obvious, and I feel dumb being surprised. Lizzy doesn't want me to do it either." "Then we probably won't. Graham can't make us get in there, right? Dad and Eli won't let him," Ana felt her stomach lurch a little as she thought about it. Percy had said he wouldn't let anything happen before, but.. He kind of did. She could feel tears start to well up in her eyes as she kept thinking about it. Getting taken, not being able to fight back, her father nowhere in sight.. "Dad won't let him. Right?" She bit her lip slightly trying to keep herself calm. She never cried in front of Vera before, and she didn't want to, but the more she kept trying to keep herself from crying the more she did. She weakly apologized, hiding her face in the pillow she had grabbed before, hugging it tightly, hoping maybe digging her nails into the pillow would help her emotions. "Wh—" Vera felt her heart sink, but a little step back wasn't unexpected. She scurried over close, rubbing Ana's shoulders and shaking her head, even if the younger girl couldn't see it. "No no, no don't worry alright? We'd have to...there's tests, we might just fail'em, then nothing happens at all!" "I don't wanna get stuffed in a box again," Ana couldn't keep herself from saying it - she knew that it sounded dumb, but that's about how it felt before. It felt like she was stuffed into a box full of people when the attack happened. It was hot and horrible and cramped and she never wanted to feel like trapped that again, and if she was going to get put into the pilot's seat of an NC, that's basically just a box with a bunch of buttons and lights. She looked up at Vera, tears still rolling down her face and in her eyes as she gasped, "I'm sorry, I-I'm d-dumb and weird I'm s-sorry for doing th-this." "No no no you're not, you're not dumb okay? Vera didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around Ana, but she had to be careful. She'd made promises before that she knew she couldn't keep, and if she'd learned anything, it was that temporary relief wasn't worth the pain it caused later on, for both people. "Listen," she pulled back enough to look Ana in the eyes, resting the soft fabric of the ushanka against the younger girl's forehead. "No matter what happens, you're not gonna be alone, okay? If Percy can't be there, I'll be there, I promise. You will never be put anywhere alone, if you go, I go." Ana sniffled, then smiled at her, even though she was still crying, "Anywhere?" You're dam--dang right. Vera smiled, and nodded confidently. "Everywhere." Ana got the pillow out from between them, tossing it back to where the other two pillows are, then hugged Vera again. The blonde Russian girl was like a sister she never had, or even knew she wanted. She was nice, and cool, and she was there when she needed her. The talk they just had proved it. If her dad messed up somewhere, then she had Vera. "I love you," Ana said, completely and utterly meaning it. "Love you too," she muffled a laugh. "And hey, if we do pass, I bet we'll be so freaking cool." Ana giggled again, nodding.	Percy J. Moore Age: 32 Role: > Support Appearance: He's a pretty average looking guy. He's about 5 ft 8in, 167 lbs. He has red hair and freckles all over his body, suggesting he's at least a little Irish. At least a little. Even though everything else about him seems warm and inviting, his eyes are a cool gray blue. Some people have told him he looks a little girly, but his stubble shows otherwise. He also has a little bit of a nose on him. Normally, he'd wear a blue jean jacket with a faux fur collar with a dark sandy brown turtleneck underneath, light jeans with dark long-johns underneath, and some worn but sturdy leather-y hiking boots (with socks, of course). He also has a set of more intimidating black steel toed boots, but he doesn't wear those very often. He also has two silver rings on his left hand. One is his wedding ring, the other is his wife's. The glasses shown in the picture are merely for reading. (I just couldn't keep the glasses-wearing Percy to myself tho like look at him) Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) He's got one or two screws a little bit loose.. He's paranoid, temperamental, overprotective and has a very hard time relaxing. Under all that he's really just scared. He's scared for his daughter and himself. He doesn't want his girl to end up like her mother - dead - or him - an emotional mess that's barely got his shit together. If you can get through the barrier to the guy underneath it, you've got yourself a friend that's gonna have your back 99% of the time. Backstory: He was living an average life that was as comfortable as it can be in a wasteland with his mother and father in Smith's Rest.. maybe even a little bit sheltered. After moving out of the house so he can have some time to really figure out who he was as a person, his parents died shortly after because of a disease that was spreading across the settlement. A few years after that, and after a few romps with some other people, he met a lovely woman that was just a year older than him - Laura. Laura was, in his eyes, very pretty, very intelligent, and very much the yin to his yang. They just clicked. They had a child out of wedlock, but they married after their little girl, Ana, was born. A few months later, as they were finally settled into parenthood and Percy thought that maybe everything's alright, Laura was killed in an accident in her workplace. Percy had to tackle parenthood alone. He did awfully at first - Laura was a much better parent than he was at that point in time - but he gradually got better. Ana grew up to be a bright eyed little girl. He took the job because he was in need of the huge sum of money promised. He thought he could just get in, get out, be over with it.. It'd be easy! He was so, so wrong - he figured that one out after the surgery to get his plug.. That's what he gets for not reading the fine print. After dealing with a surprise attack on Smith's Rest, he's gotten meaner and a little less forgiving. Then, after the events of the Navy attack, his NC was damaged to the point it locked up, was able to be toppled, and the right side of his body was mangled pretty badly - so badly in fact, on top of breaking his leg, he lost his hand. His face was luckily kept in tact. He's back into what Sophia called the unfair game with much hesitance.. he prays he doesn't lose any more body parts. Tactical Preference & Skills: > He'd rather stay away from bloodshed if he can, but if he can't, sticking close to the team would be his second choice. He has a very strong desire to protect those around him, even if they're in huge mechas, making him an adequate support. > If he was to do a solo mission and the only person he has to worry about is himself (and he's confident that he'll be fine), he would find no issues with getting his metal hands dirty. Or oily, I guess. Notes: > He hates getting drunk - not because of what it does to him, but because his hangovers are awful > He has pistol that's been passed down for generations upon generations. It's technically obsolete, but he's very good at using it. > He also has a pocket knife that was a sort of "parting gift" from Sophia (the former commander). > He has a prosthetic hand now. He both hates it and kind of totally loves it. > His sync rate is around 75-90%, depending on his mental state. Text Color: LightSteelBlue, or b0c4de Codename: Papa Mike Appearance:: Looks clunkier and heavier than it really is. Basic metallic black paint with white accents. Has a couple dings here and there, but it's not affecting anything major. Older model modified to meet standards of the present, really. Body & Type: > Bipedal > Originally designed to be semi-proficient at most tasks. Has been modified to be faster and more powerful than the original. Equipment: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > Slightly damaged stock neural computer - a bug in the computer is that it calls Percy "Micheal" instead of "Percy." Percy has tried to fix it but is afraid he'll break something else. He's not a coder for fuck's sake. > Above-average thrusters specifically designed for short bursts of speed > Slightly above average generator Armaments: (will be added to/changed as the RP progresses) > VEKW-01.65 (New-Anchorage Custom - 35 rounds, mid-to-long-range) > PPB-2.71 (New-Anchorage Custom - melee (laser sword), standard white in color) Small Standard Fairbanks-Model missile launcher on the back (3 missile burst, long-range) random tidbits (will be added to as I think of things) > Before the NC was Percy's, it belonged to a guy named Michael who was actually an assault/support for his squad.. hence the computer calling him "Michael" :P Ana L. Moore The redhead is Ana. The ushanka girl is Vera Age: 8 Appearance: She's just past the average height of girls her age, being 4ft 2in, but she's underweight at 50 lbs. She shares many of her father's physical traits, just softened (especially her nose). She also has his red hair and freckles - her freckles are more in her face, however. Her eyes are a very lovely shade of green. She's usually wearing a pink and white striped sweater that's beaten up from being worn so often, some dark pants that are equally as beat up, and some shoes that are so worn it's probably time for new ones. She has what she would call "a dumb monkey hat with stupid looking gloves that match" that she really would prefer not to wear (she's eight, not FIVE), but her father makes her wear it sometimes when it's colder than usual. Personality: (this is more of a guideline than a set of hard and fast rules. People are complex, man.) Despite all that's happened, she's still very optimistic and caring. She's got a will made of titanium and she's braver than she realizes she is - even braver than her father, who she feels is the bravest person in the whole world. She's a little bit like her father in the sense that she also has a touch of a temper as well... maybe not a touch. Backstory: She was born to Laura and Percy. She never knew her mother, because she died when she was little. When the surprise attack in Smith's Rest happened, she was almost taken away for who knows what purpose. Almost. She was saved, but her perceptions of the world changed pretty drastically. She didn't know just how scary the world was till then. She's slowly learning to deal with the nightmares, but she probably won't like confined spaces very much. Notes: > She stole a box of crayons from the school once. She still has that box of crayons. > She absolutely loves dogs. Puppies are awesome. > She is very much capable of taking care of herself.. for the most part. > She's a bit clumsy - she has a very tiny, almost unnoticeable scar on her nose, between her eyes. she walked into a door frame when she was little. > Birthday is August 7th. Text Color: Violet or ee82ee
56,096	1,536	62	1,372	1,641	Joshua RayHANGAR, NEW ANCHORAGE Joshua, for not a few minutes, just sat in a corner of the hangar and watched the others, sort of frightened and just thinking hard. One of them, with a mechanical hand, yelled "Stein!" and was seemingly scared for that one to fall and crack her head open like an egg. Not to mention, halfway through her climbing of it the older lady, Agatha, he thought, joined in and followed suit. Both of them were fairly quick in achieving what was asked of them. Joshua just waited for them to finish and for the other man to... do anything, really. When it was all said and done, with this cybernetic individual still standing there gawking, Joshua slowly walked up to behind him, then continued to the feet of the of the glorified wreck of an NC. Getting onto a foot, he then inched along the top from unintended foothold to unintended foothold until he got to the base of the torso area, but he soon realized he couldn't safely get to the cockpit from here. It was far too much of an angle, necessitating him to 'monkeybar' his way to the front, but he highly suspected he needed to be a bit stronger for that course of action. Not wanting to find out just yet, he then traced his steps back to the ground before he realized he didn't time himself at all. Probably three or five minutes, though. Proportionately slower then those other two for sure, sadly. Wordlessly, he then searched for a general 'Gopher', asked where he could acquire his room-keys, then after a short jaunt throughout the base got them and went towards his temporary abode, unpacking things from his backpack, but still holding unto his knife in secret. He had no idea where he got this feeling from, but he swore to god that this knife would change his life for the better one day. This, specific knife. Like some sort of serial murderer he even gave it a name and personalized it a bit over the years. A black-tinted, matte blade with serrations to cut through foilage and fauna alike, that didn't reflect light, and his own initials on one side, with the knife's own 'name' on the other. 'Chance the Knife', he christened it, like a kid who just got the best toy ever. Of course, unlike that kid he had this knife for a while. He flipped it around, nearly fumbling and cutting off his thumb by accident, until he nonchalantly put it into his pocket for possible later use. Soon afterwards, after dispersing the contents of his backpack throughout the room (Various snacks being hidden at key points for 'emergency rations'), he dumbly flopped on his bed and just sat there for a few minutes, not intending to sleep just yet. He thought to himself while testing the mattress apparently. I hope my NC is fine... Should check. A little while later, he had his room-key in a death grip and locked his room behind him while he wandered about, attempting to find the hangar once more.	Joshua Ray Appearance Joshua Ray is a twenty-seven year old young man with brown eyes, long black hair in a pony-tail, and a somewhat lanky frame. He stands about six feet tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds. While he is somewhat squishy, he isn't weak in terms of strength. His skin is notably pale for a 'Surface-Dweller' due to his sheltered upbringing, and he carries himself as if he doesn't want to make a scene at most times. Age 27 Role Joshua Ray fits into both a 'Heavily-armored heavy weapons specialist' and 'High mobility demolitions' role. Due to this, his NC can fit both. Personality Joshua Ray is a kind, optimistic young man with fire and hope in his eyes, possessed by a desire to make the world a better place and wander around. That's what he'd be doing if he had any say in the matter, but a man with an NC has to eat. He dislikes doing extremely 'dirty' operations, yet is just fine being a more cunning or surreptitious sort. He's not one to talk often, but he does appreciate company, as long as they're also of the more silent type. He's easily noted for his somewhat deadpan, snarky humor and mild self-deprecating tendencies, yet maintaining a fairly friendly demeanor. However, for all of his love of justice and morality, he's a bit of a coward. Backstory Joshua Ray grew up in one of the many scattered surface settlements, in a still somewhat irradiated, yet peaceful area in one of outlying Denver-Vegas territories. Living a somewhat sheltered life, he developed a love of reading pre-war and modern stories, documents, and religious writings, not to mention a strong sense of righteousness and morality that stands with him to this day. When he was of age, he began wandering the world with his own two feet, going from continent to continent by salvaged boat or independent aerial transporters. Doing odd-jobs as needed around the world, he never lost his thirst for justice nor his hope to play a part in creating a better future for all of mankind. One day while working in a medical facility, what appeared to be an error in some minor group or another's "Neural-Combatant Compatibility" detection hardware revealed that he had the necessary mental or psychological asset that gave him the capability to control one. Calling in favors with friends and extended family, he soon found himself controlling a custom-built lightweight NC known as the Apollo, after an absolutely ancient group or project that apparently resulted in men landing on the moon overhead. While originally built from scrap at a junkyard and using hand-me-down Neural Nets and software, over three years the Apollo turned into the heavily armed and armored beast it is today. Eventually, however, he accepted all the independent contracts that he was any interested in, and decided to finally fall into a larger group. Going from one corporate army to another, he now waits to see if New Anchorage wants him or not. Tactical Preference & Skills Ray is highly adept at high-speed pursuit and maneuvering, managing heavy weapons, and bracing/fidgeting before impact to reduce the lethality of enemy attacks. His best skill, however, is his ability to determine the situation he's in and the safest way out if need be. Notes Joshua Ray's favorite pastimes include star-gazing, reading ancient and modern documents and stories, and finally contemplating with others about the universe and humanity's place. Not to mention video games. Text Color ff4c4c Apollo 'Heavy' AppearanceThe red Apollo 'Heavy' is a somewhat bulky heavily armored unit with many reaction control verniers and weapon mountings. While a thicker example of an NC, it is still a fairly sleek and well-rounded unit, armor able to render most non-specialist weapons fairly useless. Body & Type The Apollo is a heavily armed and armored bipedal type, with additional jets compared to most other heavy NC's, giving it a decent amount of maneuverability for its weight class. Although, it's still not particularly quick in a straight line. The NC itself stands at a mighty 26 meters, towering over medium weights and lightweights, although just a bit on the short side for fellow heavies. Equipment & Armaments The Apollo 'Heavy' is very well armed, with weapons and equipment including: One right-handed custom-built heavy particle rifle, firing deadly globs of hydrogen based plasma. It has a very high rate of fire for a weapon of its class and individual shot-strength, and has additional heatsinks compared to your standard plasma weapon. Due to these qualities, it's a very good suppression and anti-NC weapon, although its long range abilities are moot, and it can only reasonably fire when the NC is maneuvering slower. Made out of a combination of Paragon, Volkov, and Magen parts. Six 1 meter diameter missile racks on the back 'wings', these can take many types of warheads and missile bodies, although Ray usually loads them with long-range anti-armor missiles. 1 Heavy siege-shield, fitted with heat-resistant coating and sharpened to the point it can be used similar to a 'Pile-bunker' gauntlet. Fitted on the left arm with a gauntlet, leaving the hand free. 1 left-handed kinetic sniper rifle with a belt-feed. Based using Denver-Vegas parts, this rifle has a very long operational range and can easily damage most NC's and slow, armored targets like bunkers or naval ships. 2 hip-mounted Thermal Cleavers, each with a pointed tip, allowing them to slash and stab with equal ability. They are generally folded up like a butterfly knife on each hip, unless in use. One is as long as the NC's arm, and the other is about half as long, similar to a Katana and Wakizashi pair, although the blades are straight and less fancy. The Apollo is also equipped with an array of chaff-launchers, fitted with four charges of a special type of chaff that interferes with infrared and RADAR targeted weapons, while also reducing the capability of laser or particle arms. Finally, all of the units' ammunition is stored on a large backpack right beneath the units' thruster 'wings', with two feeds connecting to the Apollo's plasma caster and sniper-rifle, pumping hydrogen and sending large caliber bullets respectively. Fuel is stored inside tanks within the Apollo's legs and the sides of the chest. Unique Feature In an emergency, the heavy armor plating, extraneous thrusters and power-routing cables powering them can be ejected by the heavy clamps and occasional electromagnets that hold them in place. This results in the Apollo 'Heavy' effectively turning into the Apollo 'Light', with changed features below. Apollo 'Light' Appearance The Apollo Light is a thinly armored NC that is in all actuality just the frame for a much larger one, yet able to act independently. Standing two meters lower than its original form, the Apollo-Light is still taller then most average NC's, yet less so. The Apollo Heavy's shield divides in two at the middle, and combines with the now armorless wing-portion to form two large 'binders' on the backside. The motions of these in flight can severely enhance the rotational and maneuverability based capabilities of the NC. Body & Type The Apollo-Light is nearly armorless in comparison to the Heavy form, but the power generator, now having to feed a smaller amount of turbojets maneuvering a lighter NC, can overdrive the aforementioned for even more speed. Of course, the now 'needlessly heavy' systems installed do weigh it down to the point it's not as fast as it could be if optimized. Equipment & Armaments Much less heavily armed compared to the Apollo 'Heavy', the inner frame of which is only armed with its sniper rifle and plasma-caster, but its ammunition backpack is still in place, alongside its shield, although technically. Of course, with the armorless wings being able to move, they can still assist in defense. Theoretically, if need be, the connection ports powering the other weapons can send electrical arcs through the air like a tesla-coil, but Ray never tried that before in mild fear. Notes Compared to the 'Heavy form', the 'Light' Apollo is much more worthy as a scout or any other position that requires stealth, with a boxier and thinner design. If needed, it could be outfitted with RADAR-absorbent coating and act as reconnaissance unit.
56,097	1,536	63	923	5,303	WITH PERCY & AGATHASTEINHANGARS, NEW ANCHORAGE AFTERNOON For the first time since she arrived at New Anchorage, Stein felt herself a little impressed. Though Agatha’s insistence that she could do it until she could do so with one hand behind her back was an amusing one for Stein personally and while the former Volkov Corporation pilot was more than happy to continue a few more runs on climbing the old NC she had not exactly intended to do such an activity until nightfall. There were a variety of things to show the older NC pilot that extended to functions around the base and while she was sure Agatha could familiarize herself with the maps sent to her datatool, there was also the whole precedent of the fact that she had asked Stein if she could show her the “ropes” and Stein didn’t exactly say no to the request. However, that was until a phrase flew out of Agatha’s mouth that caused Stein’s train of thought to drop and the blonde-haired girl’s confident smirk to become even more apparent. While Stein hadn’t been one to “telegraph” her emotions in most of her adult life, the feel of actual competition combined with the thrill of competition brought out the bite of her codename on the battlefield in tandem. "Unless you are giving up for the day after just one climb?" “Heh.” As the two female pilots dismounted the NC and made their way back to its feet, Stein could feel some adrenaline come over her. “I would assume you are the one who would tire sooner due to your accelerated age. I thought you wanted me to show you the “ropes” but if you desire to be beaten by my time consistently I suppose I can offer you that pleasure.” "Oh we got a month to go over the ropes, and plenty of time tomorrow, but right now wouldn't it be good to set the bar for everyone else? I'm actually offended Graham thought this even qualified as a test!" Stein remained silent as she looked at Agatha, as if not understanding what the phrase meant; though she did quite understand it, she just didn't believe it. While she understood fully about meeting standards, Stein never quite understood inspiring others in the context of standards when in her experience standards were the same for her comrades so she shouldn’t need to raise them up when it was expected of them to meet standards on their own merits. Set the bar? Why? Agatha blinked in mild surprise. "Mean's setting a standard to strive to surpass, like a higher rung on a ladder that you strive to climb. If we just settled on our first time and called it good enough, we wouldn't get any better than we are now." “I know what the phrase infers. It isn’t my job to inspire people, it is my job to meet expectations.” "It isn't in your job to help me out or even climb this NC right now, but you did. Frankly, it's in everyone's interest to bolster each other's standards. Why trust the artillery at the rear not to frag you if you didn't have faith in their skill? Or that the Sniper is going to be watching your back? It's very rare to wind up on sortie alone, so if we don't push our comrades to a higher standard then we do everyone here a disservice." Stein wasn’t sure if she agreed with the sentiment Agatha was stating, but she was right— she did do it without need to at the very moment. But it was more about her making sure she had not fallen so far off the wagon to be unable to perform. Despite there not being a test at this moment with Graham watching her expecting achievement or failure there was someone else looking over her shoulder, someone far more important than Graham or Agatha— Stein’s personal standards and expectations. “Trust is not a word I prescribe to. Everybody should be working at maximum efficiency; they should aspire to live up to the expectations ordered and not have to be handholded. The weak suffer in the shadow and need abstract fantasies of “hope”, the strong know what is required and do it. That’s a fact.” "Does everyone just know how to be strong? I don't remember turning ten and thinking I can climb a NC and shoot the wings off a fly from 500ft away. The weak, as it were, may still have the potential to be strong, but it needs something or someone to bring it out. At some point you had to have trained or been through something that motivated you. A mentor, a conflict, something." “Your exaggeration is a logical fallacy.” Stein took a light breath as she shook her head, “When I was ten I was required to do a lot of things— climbing a NC was one of them. But you are correct in that I had to be trained, but those who are pilots should know of the requirements of our station. NC's are not toys and piloting them is not a game. I do not understand independents who think otherwise.” Agatha sighed, not looking offended at the jab at her past. "Respect and standards have to be instilled. I understand your concern, and there have been many times i wished the world was such, but it is impractical to expect every pilot to have the same standards expected of them without a military background. As I'm sure you noticed in the cafeteria and your own life, some pilots start as children. Do you really think Moore would expect Ana, if she is compatible, to perform as well as you or I? If it was just up to him, she would be a soon-to-be-dead pilot. At Graham's standards she'd be decent. What would she be like held to your standards?" “That ignores the fact that she is untrained. She would have to be trained and conditioned before being expected to any standards. I do not presume she will be decent, bad, or good.” Stein's eyes moved to her left as she crossed her arms, catching a glance at Percy as his own voice became apparent as he entered the conversation, which even to Stein was not too surprising consider the two pilots were talking about his daughter. An unnerving feeling grew over Stein as he did so. "My child isn't going to be a pilot," Percy said, "It's not happening. I'd kill Graham before I let that hap—" “—No, you wouldn’t. You’re a coward. If you were going to stand up to Graham like he wanted you to, it would have been in the Mess Hall.” Stein interjected, brows narrowed. "I wasn't about to do it in front of my kid." Percy wasn't exactly lying when he said that, but he was definitely afraid he'd get his ass handed to him, too. He wasn't exactly as big as Graham was. "Huh, I wasn't the only one who got that impression? Moore, if you wanted your daughter out of this life, you would have gotten out first. But no, you'd rather cower here than carve out a new life. Say if you did try and assault Graham? You wind up dead, the commander maybe as well, and Ana is left behind with nothing but a desperate New Anchorage and your empty NC." Agatha spat, her disdain for Percy clear. "Whether you admit it or not, all you've left that girl is a life built around NCs, even if she can't pilot she is still going to be drawn to 'em because it will be the only legacy you leave her." "She's not going to be drawn to it!" Percy raised his voice - this has got to be the most he's ever risen it in one day. "She knows it's dangerous! I've told her over and over again that it's not going to happen for as long as I live! She's not doing it!" Agatha's face grew taught as it flashed with anger. "You told her you wouldnt let Graham test her. Your word is already shit to us, and it will be to her soon enough." "SHE'S NOT DOING IT." Percy didn't mean to get so angry, but god damn it these two were driving him over the edge. He had his fists clenched like he wanted to just let out all the stress in his mind on their damned faces, but he stayed standing there, shaking. He had more he wanted to say, but his brain was a hazy mess full of insults, objections, panic. "Moore, I thought you were a poor father before, but I can say you are a wretched human as well." The redhead pilot didn't say anything in response. Any urge to get violent immediately disappeared. He just stood there, not sure how he could even reply to that. He's always feared he was a bad father. He thought he was bad the first time he had screamed at Ana when she was a baby to just shut up because he couldn't get her to stop crying. He thought he was awful when he had given her just a little bit of alcohol to help her sleep. But she was alive, so he thought he did alright. She's happy. He could feel his throat tense the way it did when he was about to start sobbing, but he kept his calm. Mostly. The aged lioness stood expecting a punch, a kick, or even just more toothless threats. His lack of response left her snorting in barely restrained fury. "This, Moore, is why you are a damned coward. If this was your best, then it was pathetic. I would deck you for ruining that child of yours if not for the evident fact that she has clearly taken after her mother!" "And I'm glad she did." Stein shook her head, “If you two are done bickering, I would like to get something fundamentally useful done instead of wasting my time with this conversation. But I will end my interest here with one thing, Moore, you need to straighten up before something worse than a harmless neurological exam happens. The likelihood that your daughter can pilot a NC is less than fifty percent. Cheers.” As Stein began walking away she could see that Agatha did the same as she broke away from Percy, her eyes turning towards the NC as she let her own anger bleed away. Percy Moore wasn't worth the effort if he couldn't defend himself. With a final, monstrous exhale she turned back to Stein. "I think I can appreciate your view more, Stein. Can you show me around now? I need to bleed myself dry doing something worthwhile." “Of course. I'm due for another run, anyway.”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,098	1,536	64	923	5,303	GRAHAMBARRACKS, NEW ANCHORAGE AFTERNOON Michael Graham sighed as he pushed his back against the wall of the corridor he was standing in as the pilot quarters were only a few footsteps in front of him. As far as days went Graham felt today was pretty shit for what he was expecting— he knew it was going to be challenging coordinating, training, and conditioning both of the newer pilots and the original ones but to the extent of what he had experienced was ridiculous. Insubordination, unprofessionalism, inane flirtation, unruly antics; there was no end to the problems. Though, despite his frustrations he was sticking to his schedule and plans. He looked back to the two soldiers that were accompanying him to the next particular item that was on his list of things he needed to take care of. It was barely after 1300 hours and he could feel a tension growing in his gut. The next item on the list was something he had told Tahlia Styles when he was getting the pilots sorted— two children had a doctor’s appointment and he intended to make them understand the clarity of what it entailed because he knew full well that they were probably quite rattled after the incident in the Mess Hall. An incident that frustrated him to no end— had Percy had the gall to attempt to strike him he would’ve had some measure of respect for the man, but what he did was cower in the shadow of his threats even as he used Percy’s deceased wife as an incentive. If anyone ever spoke ill of the woman he cared about he would’ve nearly ended them without a second thought. There was no question about that. How could a man be so weak and spineless? He had the gall to tell him “no” to the matter of his daughter— but that was only for a second. Damned independents. The dark-haired man walked forward to Moore’s quarters— he would go to Jackspar’s next. He pressed his palm against the datatool on his wrist and the doors slid open and his expression turned from stone to pleasant surprise as he noticed both of the children he needed to talk to. He held his spare hand to the guards as if telling them to stay back. “Ana Moore. Vera Voloshyna. I need to talk to both of you.” Ana nearly shrieked. She had definitely locked the door, but there the commander was, standing in what she percieved as an ominous posture; the shock on her face showed just how horror-stricken she was. She just looked up at Graham with fearful tears in her eyes. She had a thought to throw the lamp on the bedside table as hard as she could at his face and just run, but she noticed the two guards behind him. That idea wouldn't work. She'd get shot. She just sat there, clinging to Vera like her life depended on it, trying to think of anything she should do to get him out of the room. Graham sighed— they were tense and Ana was obviously frightened. He didn’t blame her in the slightest considering what had happened in the Mess Hall; he had goaded her father, used her mother’s name inappropriately, and created a tone that probably made her uncomfortable. He remembered the feeling when the guns came from Denver-Vegas to take him when he was the same age. He was sympathetic towards the feeling but he was not here to tell her what she was going to do, but he needed to give her as well as Vera some clarity of the particular situation all three of them found themselves in. As he entered the room more fully he took a seat on the bench adjacent to the door, his expression the opposite of what he had showed in the Mess Hall only an hour prior. “There’s no need to be afraid. This is a conversation.” Ana stayed there, still clinging to the older girl, trying not to show just how scared she was by looking at threatening as an eight year old can look. "You're not allowed in here." She managed to say, her voice wavering slightly. She honestly surprised herself with how forceful her voice was; she expected to sound like a little baby. Vera gently pulled herself away from Ana, enough to at least move her arms around, but kept a hand on her shoulder. To his credit, Graham didn't seem or sound as sharp as he had before, but that didn't change the fact that he was, despite all offical facts, unwelcomed in the room. With a quick smile to Ana, Vera met Graham's eyes as best she could. It wasn't too hard, he was big, and strong, but Ms. Jackspar had eyes like frostbite. Just looking into them hurt. She could manage here like she managed then. "Let's hear it, sir." Even if she wasn't too fond of him, Lizzy had taught her again and again that superiors were just that, and deserved respect. Officially, anyway. “I’ve scheduled a neurological exam for both of you— and I know it is a concept either of you might be nervous about considering the altercation earlier. But this exam does not include any surgeries or health risks that you might think. It is harmless. Believe me that I have been in your shoes and when I learned about it when I was nine years old I was equally as frightened as I was excited.” Ana looked like she was actually thinking about putting that earlier, stupid plan into action. She didn't have the patience in that moment to even think about what Graham was saying - her dad said not to let anyone in, and she already felt a little bad about letting Vera in, but then Graham just.. letting himself in? She was on edge. She glanced at the lamp for a moment before speaking again, "I'm trying to be nice, and my dad is gonna be really mad if you're not gone when he gets back. Please leave the room." “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. This is more important than your father's... feelings.” "Well, I'm sorry, but Dad matters more to me than you do." Ana shrugged slightly, but was also staring daggers into Graham; she didn't even realize she was, but she did know she was getting angry and overwhelmed. “That is understandable. I can relate to that. But this isn't about your father, me commanding him, or anything like that. This is about you.” The military commander turned his glance slightly. “Vera? You like you have something to say.” Vera frowned, at this rate they'd both be dragged out of the room, then Percy might hear, Lizzy might hear, and she knew nothing good could possibly come from that. Graham was right, this wasn't about Percy, this wasn't about anyone else, but it could very easily turn otherwise. Giving Ana's shoulder a soft squeeze, she tried to convey as much confidence in her eyes as she had to give, then nodded to Graham. "This is just the test? We might fail it anyway?" Her tone suggested she already knew the answer, but she wasn't asking for herself. Graham’s reply was a light nod as he leaned back in the bench with his arms behind his neck— his eyes moving to the ceiling for a moment. “Less than 50% of the world’s total population has the ability to synchronize with neural plug technology. That’s, of course still a lot of individuals but really it is a hopeful gamble that we play; so it’s a chance, not a guarantee.” "And if we pass." more said than asked. Ana was still not enthused by Graham's prescense. She already broke the rule of "don't open the door" once with Vera, and she didn't want to get in trouble for it with Graham. She took a smaller pillow and actually threw it at the commander, aiming for his face - she knew it wouldn't hurt, but she was hoping maybe he'd get her damn memo at that point. There was still that perfectly good - and actually rather heavy - lamp aching to be launched at his stupid face. Graham weaved his head to the right, dodging the pillow with a smirk before he returned his glance from the ceiling to Vera. “If you pass, you decide if you want to sign a contract as a pilot of New Anchorage. Assuming either of you want to go through the painful surgical procedures and accept the responsibility of that role. If you agree to those terms then I would see about acquiring NC parts for you. Ultimately following the evaluation, it is your choice and your choice alone. Not mine, not Percy's, not Eli's. Yours.” Graham stood up from his seat and made for the door. “I think that is all I wanted to tell you girls, so I am going to go to my office. But I want both of you to report to Dr. Lofgren for an exam whenever you can. I’ll let you discuss it on your own. I’m sure you have much to talk about. If you need me, you know my office is always open for questions or concerns. Thank you for your time.”	NPC DOSSIERS \| NEW ANCHORAGE NPCs \| Commander Michael Graham Commanding Officer & Operations Director “I don’t believe in children’s fantasies of ‘good’ and ‘evil’, I believe in the absolute principle of order— a concept that promotes excellence, professionalism, integrity, organization, and heart. Order doesn’t allow fantasy, order allows you to be happy with your reality.” Name Michael A. Graham Appearance Commander Graham is a man that looks a decade younger than he appears, which is a bit of an oddity in his profession. Standing at six foot even and a rigorously sculpted physique Graham has proven that age is not a factor in the efforts of a professional soldier. Accompanied by dark blue-black hair that is drawn to mid-length and faded brown eyes, Graham despite the intensity he invokes is not abrasive to look at which in the past he had used to his advantage to get the wits on several enemies including rough-edged females of the criminal element. Graham has few preferences for attire— a uniform when it is available, or a loose synthweave jacket and military-fitted clothing for alternative “casual” situations. Age Forty-Three Role Operations Director Personality Claiming to have no place for childish fantasies of morality, Michael Graham serves to believe strictly in the concept of order as in his eyes it is the only answer to life. As a military commander Graham has been called ruthless, strict, abrasive, absolutist, and demanding— all of which are, in part, true to his character. Caring not for how people see him, Graham prescribes to a militarized belief of organization, rigorous expectation, and self-fulfillment through commitment. However, he is not so simply defined as a military drone given he has explored the world with a bit of a wanderlust that harkens back to his days as an aggressive and unruly NC pilot youth. Graham’s nuances and depth will be truly hard to uncover, though, as it seems as he isn’t privy to sharing. Backstory Michael Aldous Graham was born in the mega-city known as Las Vegas in 2634 within the jurisdiction of the Denver-Vegas Corporation. As an orphaned child, Graham ████████████████████████████ and was enlisted at age of seven years old and was administered to a military camp for training children. This allowed a form of ███████ to recruits to groom them into the ideal soldier. During a mandatory study of a psychological exam it was discovered that Graham was born with the ability to pilot NC’s. He was then sent off to a NC-specialized variant of the camp to which he met many like-minded children of his age and bonded with many of them. Throughout his time at the camp he was discovered to be one of the top three recruits of 2642. The others being ███████ and ███████. The three would become known as Denver-Vegas’ “Blood Trinity” as they became a force of reckoning. Starting in 2647 at The Skirmish of Andreas Fault. Sent in to deal with Red-Star insurgents that had began to encroach on Denver-Vegas territory beyond their corporate holdings in California, Graham and his comrades were said to “single-handedly” win the skirmish, though records are incomplete as sensor array camera footage has been buried in Denver-Vegas archives. As the dispute between Red-Star and Denver-Vegas continued Graham and his comrades gained prestige as the battles got more destructive and chaotic. By the end of the war the trinity had earned a reputation that would cement itself in legend— a status that would be tested when Graham found himself in a one-on-one skirmish with veteran independent pilot Agatha Smith. Following the Andreas Dispute War, Graham was thrown back into the thick of it not long after when Denver-Vegas declared war on the Volkov Corporation who had “unfairly” acquired Elysian Dream. Seven long years poured into the war and at the end of it the death of ███████ by the hands of a Volkov pilot by the name of ███████. Unsurprisingly, the death was earth-shaking for both Graham and ███████, who began to see that they weren’t as invulnerable as they were led to believe. Following the death of one trinity member Denver-Vegas found their battles going downhill against Volkov’s tactical advances and eventually they sued for peace. Elysian Dream remained in Volkov hands. In the time since the Elysian War, Graham found himself earning several promotions such as first officer, field captain, squadron commander, and operations commander. However, for reasons unknown Graham resigned from Denver-Vegas in 2673, opting to work independently. His record suggests operations collaborating with Fairbanks, Paragon, and smaller independents— never sticking around for long. New Anchorage hopes he will stay on permanently. Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran Military Commander Experienced NC Pilot Adept with Tactical Analysis Expert Marksman CQC Expertise Notes Graham absolutely detests nicknames— he will reprimand those who do not refer to him as commander, sir, or his surname. There has few people who he has tolerated nicknames from in his past and they are no longer part of his life. Graham has two adult children he knows about, aged 21 and 18. He has employed both of them. Dr. Herbert Bonheur Head of Medicine “Excellent. It is good that you are not incompetent. Had to throw away the last nurse I had. Forgot to apply the correct stims… very bad.” Name Herbert H. Bonheur Appearance TBA Age Forty-Six Role Head of Medicine Personality Bonheur is admittedly rather obtuse given that his way of thinking isn’t exactly easy to understand by others; even fellow doctors. Coupled with a loose, casual demeanor and mannerisms that lead many to believe that the years of caffeine-induced dieting has led him to speak similar that may be a bit too quick for people to generally follow. Some consider Bonheur “insane” whilst others consider him “eccentric” but despite his terrible bedside manner and his abrasively blunt way of dealing with things Bonheur’s methods seems to always work. Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Best Medicial Pracitioner in Alaska Skilled Pharmacist Veteran Surgeon Notes TBA Dr. James Lofgren Head of NC Analysis “With only one minute to spare and you took down an opponent who seemed to have all of the advantages. Fascinating.” Name James M. Lofgren Appearance TBA Age Thirty-One Role NC Analyst Neurosurgeon Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Well-tested NC Analyst Skilled Neurosurgeon Skilled Psychologist & Therapist Notes TBA Valdislav Kuznetsov Head of Engineering “Quote” Name Valdislav S. Kuznetsov Appearance TBA Age Fifty-Five Role Senior Engineering Officer Mechanic Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Veteran NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Notes TBA Matthew Alvarez Operations Administrator “Your complaints are unfounded, I assure you that everything is going according to plan. Sit down.” Name Matthew L. Alvarez Appearance TBA Age Twenty-Six Role Operations Administrator Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Eidetic Memory Veteran Administrative Assistant Skilled Clerk Notes TBA Katarina Poux Engineering Officer “I just wish there was a way these beautiful machines could be used for good and not evil. There is such opportunity for them to be utilized for good.” Name Katarina “Kat” Poux Appearance Katarina is easy on the eyes when she is cleaned up, but due to her constant tweaking of machinery she tends to have a oil and dust-spotted appearance. Her hair is black that is worn long or in a messy ponytail depending on her time management and awareness. Her eyes are a perceptive hazel and her choices of attire are generally engineering jumpsuits and uniforms; rarely does Katarina remember what it was like to wear loose ‘feminine’ type clothing. Katarina is about average height for her ethnicity and age, setting in at around 5’6”. Age Twenty-Five Role Junior Engineering Officer Personality Katarina is upbeat and chirpy despite her “muddy” profession, choosing to be welcoming and optimistic rather than cynical and realistic. Whilst some might consider her an annoyance, her energy and emotions do set a mood amongst the engineering staff that leads to a good morale boost. However, with the shadow of death this disposition can be damaged and inverted; thus revealing a sort of “hot” and “cold” dynamic to her personality. However, Katarina tries very hard to not be downbeat and thinks things forward and not backward; she had done such dwelling on negative emotions when she was younger after all. Backstory The daughter of a NC pilot and a weapons engineer, Kat has been surrounded by big machines with complex machinery her entire life. A background that would bring the young girl to study all things mechanical and electrical which led to an astute understanding of mechs and traditional armored vehicles alike. Around the age of thirteen years old the world revealed itself to be much more harsh than she had been led to believe despite her parents professions being blatantly a product of their warlike environment. This tragedy was the death of her mother, Piana, when her independent NC was overwhelmed in combat. The effects of said death would bring her father to alcoholism and retirement from working on new NC weapon schematics and prototypes. Kat would go on following in the footsteps of who her father was before the accident and became an exceptional mechanic and designer in her own right., though she couldn’t seem to escape stigmas about her or her family wherever she went. By the age of twenty, following her instruction as an engineer she found herself in the employ of one of the big corporations: Fairbanks. Several months ago she quit her position as an aspiring engineer at Fairbanks due to various reasons and found herself in league with New Anchorage. Tactical Preference & Skills Skilled NC Technician Experienced Electrical Engineer Weapons Designer Notes TBA Ingram Kalfox Financial & Intelligence Agent “It is so nice to see the youth looking optimistically towards their future— and the more ruthless of us trying to redeem their path in life. It brings hope for our time.” Name Ingram Kalfox Appearance TBA Age 43-56 Role Operations Economist Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Comprehensive Knowledge of International NC Pilots Skilled Businessman & Economist Notes TBA Rebecca Marek Operations Commander “---” Name Rebecca “Reb” Marek Appearance TBA Age 28-36 Role Military Commander Personality TBA Backstory TBA Tactical Preference & Skills Experienced Soldier & Military Commander Veteran Anti-NC Special Operations Unit Talented in Tactical Analysis Skilled in CQC Marksman Notes TBA
56,099	1,536	65	1,524	552	JAN VAN GENTHANGAR, NEW ANCHORAGE Jan quietly listened to the tasks Graham listed... Standard physical tests, firearm tests... climbing into an NC. If it weren't unproffesional Jan would kiss this man. He had always been quite annoyed at the on-duty laxness there was in New Anchorage. He could pretty much walk all over lunch regulations up until now and get a sandwich whenever he wanted. He had secretly enjoyed someone finally saying something about it. He may not have liked the pencil pusher that reported him to Graham, but he quite liked the authority that pencil pusher represented. So Graham wanted him to climb into an NC unassisted? Please, Jan had done that shit already. It was somewhat of a necesarry skill for a mercenary like him. He saw Stein stepping forward before he could though, and was slightly taken aback by how she took the challange... Stein was capable of emotions other than mild disinterest? The blonde-haired girl finished, and Jan wanted to step up again, but again he was interrupted, this time by an old woman no less. He was skeptical of her capability for just a moment, but was then reminded experience was just as much of an asset as raw power and agility. He heard a familiarly whiny voice lament its apparant inadequacy. "Oh shut your face Moore, that defeatist line of thinking is gonna get you nowhere... In fact, I feel like us men are a bit underrepresented in this whole matter" Jan walked over, raising his hand as if to signal some invisible referee to start their stopwatch. He would be the first to admit seeing the two ladies go before him had given him a bit of an edge on this particular NC, but then again, he knew his own NC like the back of his hand, so that point was rather moot. He swung his arm downwards to signal he was starting. He made good progress... with less agility than Stein, but with more force behind his movements. he simply retraced her moves from memory. He heard the ladies engaging in some sort of philosophical debate, but ignored it in favor of focusing on his climbing. His objective right now was to one-up those very ladies... ironically proving the point Agatha was arguing. By the time he arrived at the top, Percy had interjected. Jan's mind immediately forgot what his time might have been... Lost to the shortest moment of not paying attention. He listened to the discussion going on beneath him. He remained silent as to not interrupt the beautiful verbal beatdown Percy was being subjected to. Finally, just as the conversation ended, He shouted downward. "I second the ladies! Go get a fucking spine man!"	Elizabeth Jackspar Age 21 Role Melee Skirmisher Appearance A life dedicated to training has left Eli with a lean, athletic form. An albino, her skin is chalk-white, her long hair a similar color, and her eyes holding a glassy-blue hue. She has a hard gaze and straight posture, like a soldier constantly at attention. Despite this, she’s prone to wearing civilian clothes when things are quiet. Scarves strike her fancy, and she’ll often wear them high on her neck over her mouth, but she’s also prone to gloves and arm warmers. Personality Cold and dismissive to anyone that isn’t her superior, compliant and dutiful to all others with an underlying layer of competitiveness beneath everything. A quick, calculating mind and fast reflexes make Eli a good soldier, but little else unfortunately. In her early teenage years, Eli began suffering from severe and sudden panic attacks, often leaving her an unresponsive wreck. Not knowing how such incidents would affect her daughter's future, her mother went to great lengths to keep the affliction a secret from future potential employers. After a handful of years the attacks decreased in both frequency and intensity without professional assistance, which made concealing them much easier. Tactical Preference/Skills Eli excels in melee combat, preferring swords to firearms and speed to durability. While her specialty is quick execution, she can handle prolonged confrontations, especially against a single opponent. Background ”Eli” Eli was eight years old when she learned her name was short for “Elizabeth”. Her mother, the librarian recluse Celina Jackspar, had used it once, the first time she’d cried during her training. ”Get up, Elizabeth. Now. And never cry in front of me again.” And she never did. The Jackspars might have been lepers for how little they interacted with the world. Confined to a modestly sized library nestled in the corner of what was then “Smith’s Rest”, few ever visited, and fewer were actually aware the spindly, aged woman had a child. With little to their name aside from cases and piles of books, it would not have been unreasonable to assume the family would contribute nothing great to the world. Celina would not allow such an outcome. The training began early, and never slackened. Eli learned from a young age what she was, and would be. She did not attend school, she did not socialize with peers, she rarely left the library at all. Her life was dedication, she had to let go of the urges to want, and focus entirely on the future. ”Up.” And she got up. The Jackspars could afford no firearms, and so forewent practicing them. Instead it was decided that Eli would master the art of melee combat in their absence. Lyosha Voloshyna, a carpenter and one of the family’s only “friends”, happily supplied them with wooden models of various swords, ranging from the typical and familiar, to the foreign and unique. Eli was made to train with them day in and day out. They would not be weapons held, they would be extensions of her own body, or she would fall short. Countless other prospective pilots had the advantage of proper training, they could afford to be merely “adequate” so long as they rounded out a checklist and passed the neural exam. ”I don’t want you on-par, I want you better. Keep going.” And she would. Hour after hour Eli practiced, submitting herself to the forms and tests of balance. By the time she was in her middle teens, picking up a sword felt like raising her hand, swinging felt like punching. Her threshold for pain was pushed further each day, and every time she kept her mouth shut, kept her face calm, she would catch the ghost of a smirk flicker over her mother’s face. Moving had become a dance, and she was the prima. When she was fifteen, a practice sword broke in her hand, splintering midway down the blade. It was old, nothing unexpected, and the shattering caused her no physical harm. All the same Eli froze, wide eyes fixated on the broken blade, and her arm, then the girl collapsed in a fit of agony. Celina watched, shocked. ”Get up.” But she didn’t. ”Elizabeth, get. Up.” But she couldn’t. It took all of her strength not to cry. It was her first major incident, and the only one Celina ever saw. It took a few years to realize they weren’t going to stop, and seeking professional psychiatric help would murder Eli’s chances at becoming a pilot, so Celina resolved to handle the situation in her own way. Eli knew Eli. Celina knew Elizabeth. ”Stop shaking.” And she would. The final years leading up to application were smooth by Celina’s standards. Her daughter was sharp, fast, resilient, and above all, obedient. She would protect Smith’s Rest, she would protect its people, and she would do so under the instruction of whosoever commanded the forces. Second to her, of course. ”Don’t disappoint me.” And she wouldn’t. -Helped defeat Knight and Rook alongside Percy Moore, Madison Cole, John Strange, and Joe Verona -Took on her younger sister, Vera, as an “assistant” -Bonded with the previous commander, Sophia -Suffered a gruesome defeat at the first assault on Smith’s Rest -Shaken by Sophia’s desertion Text Color: color=6ecff6 Example. Blur :Body-Plan: Blur is a humanoid, bipedal NC, designed to move and strike quickly. Its armor is lacking, but a myriad of thrusters allow not only for fast evasive maneuvers, but also for gap-closing on enemies. :Type/Quality: Blur is designed to be an up-close-and-personal NC, meant to close in on key targets before engaging in a melee assault. In this, Blur excels, and should the enemy be unequipped for close-range combat, they may have trouble. However range is her crux, and while Blur is good at evading enemy fire, should one corner her from far enough away, there is little she can do to get out of the situation. Though Eli would never admit it, Blur works best with, and sometimes even requires a team. :Equipment: -Sets of thrusters allowing for enhanced mobility and sustained flight. -Flare caches for more difficult evasive maneuvers. -Targeting system designed to track a single enemy and suggest/allocate NC power to close the distance in the quickest/most effective manner. Suggestions are automatic, control/execution is manual. :Armaments: -Standard-Issue NC Beam Sword -PPB-2.71 “Plasma Sword” (Purchased) -Deployable “Finger-Claws” (New-Anchorage Custom) -Set of demolition charges sized for NC's. The charges are kept as two separate components that are combined individually in their storage to become armed as needed, so as to avoid detonation from trauma to the housing NC. --- Vera Voloshyna (Left, Ana Moore. Right, Vera Voloshyna) Age 13 Appearance Vera’s short, her blonde hair equally so, and her eyes are vibrant, lively green. She’s taken to dressing like Eli in some cases, with scarves and hoodies and the like, and generally has smudges of dirt or oil on her face. One of her front teeth bears a chip to it. Personality Vera is both easily excitable and hard to bring down. The girl almost always has a smile on her face whether something fun is happening or not, and tends to be more on the gullible side. Background Vera’s parents were at Smith’s Rest long before she was born. Her mother was a doctor, and as Vera understands it she helped Ms. Jackspar deliver her daughter not long after their arrival, and it wasn’t until more than a decade later that she herself was born. Their families grew close, and Ms. Jackspar took on a completely different, warmer persona around the Voloshynas. When Vera was two, she spent much of her time being babysat by them, when she was five, she had managed to befriend Ms. Jackspar’s daughter, Elizabeth. When she was six, her parents vanished. The family had received threats multiple times over the course of their stay from residents none too fond of the Russian Volkov Security. The Voloshyna’s tried in vain to explain they held no part in the company’s actions, but when at last the threats turned to violence, they had no choice. The letters never addressed their daughter, perhaps because she spent so much time with the Jackspars it was assumed she was just another one of them. Regardless, when Vera’s parents fled they took the opportunity to leave her in the care of their friend, who agreed without complaint or protest. The girl did the rest of her growing up around Elizabeth, and the two grew incredibly close. She did not receive the same harsh training as Elizabeth but Ms. Jackspar did teach her a few tricks to keeping well in the settlement. -Due to an increasingly dangerous home environment, Celina sent her to "assist" Eli on-base. -Survived the assault on Smith's Rest Text Color: color=662d91 Example.
56,100	1,536	66	716	5,223	Ahh the physical, the necessary evil of piloting a huge war machine. You actually had to be in half decent shape. Which really ran opposite to Penny's love of american cereal and chocolate. But she would get through it, part of her private training was staying in an acceptable level of fitness for combat. Luckily as a sniper she wouldn't be exerting herself as much as say a Melee unit like Jan Van Gent. She wondered if that's why Agatha Smith was able to stay active even at her age because her role on the battlefield was a more passive one. She returned to her barracks which was a small room at the base and began to change into her shorts and vest which doubled as workout gear and her pajamas. She started her crunches and pushup circuit and within 20 mins she realized that she was probably a little more out of shape than she would have liked to admit but she kept at it. She hadnt gotten particularly friendly with any of the other pilots so her workout regime would not be distracted by any social life, not yet anyway. She picked up her pocket computer after collapsing after her 55th pushup and began scrolling through the dossiers again out of boredom, needless to say it wasn't very long before she found herself switching between Tahlia and Stein's image galleries, old habits die hard. Penny fell asleep a few minutes afterwards, she wouldn't be asleep for long but she would have some very good dreams.	Name: Penelope 'Penny' Maverick Age: 23 Role: Sharpshooter/Sniper Personality: Penny is a spunky and inquisitive type who is endlessly curious about people and events and is know to ask a lot of (somtimes too many) questions. She is also fiercely savvy at public relations especially when it comes to corporate types. Backstory: Daniel Maverick, Penny's grandfather was one of the settlers who helped build Smith's Rest as he was stationed in Alaska during the time. Because of this, Penny's Father Jacques always made sure his daughter was very aware and proud of the Maverick name as he felt Smith's rest was a part of the families history. But Penny grew up curious about the world outside of Smith's Rest and became a journalist at age 17 using her media work to travel the world and to learn more about the current world situation following the Elysian war. After making a healthy profit selling high interest stories to the news divisions of corporation owned websites she used all of the money to buy a salvaged NC and formal pilot training as she felt that this was the next step to learning more about the world. She didn't have to think twice when learning about Graham's recruitment and signed up instantly. Tactical Preference & Skills: Penny chose an NC which would allow her to take more time to fire her shots and not get caught in the chaos of the melee as her reflexes arent particularly fast. So sniping came fairly easy to her, but she was cautious enough to train in the use of the Gatling gun for mid range combat to keep enemies off of her who try to close the distance. She typically likes to fly to high vantage points and fire high damage shots at unsuspecting enemies from a distance. Notes: She has an addiction to energy drinks that she would never admit to. Text Color: color=fff200 or Yellow THE VANGUARD SAINT Codename: 'The VanGuard Saint' Interceptor-2638 Model MkII Appearance : Body & Type: Bipedal Flyer-Type Equipment & Armaments : Right Hand: High Power Dual Purpose 'Avenger-Longshot' Rifle (Doubles as High Power Sniper and a Flamethrower for closer range) Left Hand: 'Chewing' High Velocity Gatling Gun with single use heat laser. Left Shoulder: Standard EMP Launcher (For disrupting enemy units.) Body: Heavy Armor Plating and Powerful Jet Pack Flight System No real Melee capabilities, and slow PvP reflexes.
56,101	1,536	67	1,700	2,624	T A H L I A S T Y L E S Hanger #08 / Barracks - New Anchorage "—and when Philip here saw Miss Jackspar for the first time, he called her a damn abominable instead of an albino!" 1 Thomas explained as he threw the cards in his hands at the other mechanic's face, following with him pushing the pile of 'chips' over towards Phillip. Sitting with them was Tahlia, laughing in stitches with her left elbow resting on the table as her hand covering her eyes. With the three glasses between them filled with good old American whisky and an empty bottle lying on the ground, it was little wonder the most dumbest of conversations was causing a comedy show between the newly formed team. The stories that she was listening to were too much for her to keep a straight face. "Pass tha cards 'ere... Mister Abominable," she happily slurred, plucking a cigarette out of her pack, which at this point in time was sitting on the table next to her glass, and slipping the white cylinder between her lips. She placing her hand on the scattered deck, drawing them all towards her side of the table before carefully stacking the cards together and beginning a series of shuffles. Every few moves had to be stopped so that Tahlia could flip a card around in order to face the correct direction, a decision that would have been made sooner if she wasn't under the influence. "'ey, I didn't know the difference back then. I hadn't seen either so they were both mythical beast to me!" Philip explained, as he leaned over while laughing, pulling the smoke out of Tahlia's mouth and spinning it around so that she had the tobacco end pointing out. She drunkenly smiled at the gesture before Philip continued with his efforts to help her in lighting the tip. Thomas, on the other side of the table, threw his hands up in the air, "Mythical beast? MYTHICAL BEAST?!? You see what I gotta put up with on a daily basis? And they still won't give me a new partner!" to which Philip shrugged, knowing that his foolish antics were getting on his friend's nerves. "So Miss Styles —" Philip enquired, "— tell us the story about how you came to own this unique NC of yours," pulling the handbrake up on the current topic and changing it to one about the pilot instead. "That's not up for discussion..." she replied with a cold expression, letting the smile that was previously fill her face disappear into a less than pleasant expression. "C'mon, I bet it was an awesome story. I bet you were taking on Magen or Vol—" Before Philip could finish his sentence Tahlia had already placed the deck cards back down on the table and pushed back the crate she was sitting on so that she could stand up from her comfortable seating position at the table. She pulled the lit cigarette out from her mouth and dropped it in her glass, not caring that there was still drink left in it. "That's enough Poker for today," Tahlia spoke, picking up her bag and throwing it over her shoulder as she began to stagger away from the poker game. The two mechanics were not entirely sure what line they had crossed in order to suddenly get on her bad side and she could hear the murmur between them. A sign that they were more than likely trying to analyse the situation so that they could get a better understanding to what happened. That was no concern for the girl at current, she just wanted to find the barracks and her room. Tahlia's hand pressed up against the steel surface with her other hand fumbling with the datatool in order to get the door open. A gentle click was heard and the latch released as the weight of her body began to force the door open. With a slight miss-step, she wandered her way through the entrance into the dormitory before her, hearing the door automatically slam shut. It was a reasonable size room, well lit, bathroom facilities on the right hand side, bed in the far left corner, and a desk to her left. Tahlia walked forward towards the bed and dropped her bag on the end before sitting on the edge next to the bedside table that held a rather nice, metal framed lamp. She felt her weight sink into the mattress for a moment, giving her a gentle sense of comfort as she sat there in silence for a minute or two. "So Miss Styles. Tell us the story about how you came to own this unique NC of yours." Tahlia grabbed the lamp with her right hand, ripping it out from the electrical socket before standing up and issuing a baseball throw to the other side of the room. She expelled a loud scream of "FUCK!!!!" as the hard object to hit the glass mirror and shatter it into hundreds of tiny fragments. Each piece hit the floor one by one, giving a soothing sound similar to that of a dancing wind chime before a heavy 'Thunk!' ended the musical parade. Tahlia dropped to the ground, landing her knees on the less than comforting floor and burying her head into her hands. "It's not the question, it's only the alcohol," she repeatedly wailed into her palms, trying to convince herself that the emotional stress she was currently experiencing had nothing to do with her and how she obtained her NC. 1: Reference from Old RP.	Name: Jan van Gent Appearance:Jan stands at 1.65 meters tall. He has fair skin, dark-blonde hair styled shortly and combed to the side. He has little standards concerning the clothes he wears, usually wearing whatever he managed to get on the cheap from a clothes vendor. The only criterium to him is that something needs to be functional. It doesn't need to be pretty or graceful, it just needs to work. Age: 27 Role: Flanking/ counter-CQC Personality :A rash and boorish man by nature. Jan is a spirited individual with a somewhat cruel streak to his actions. He doesn't particularly mind if other people are served by his actions, but is ultimately mostly in it for himself. Despite this though, he places great value on loyalty and mutual respect, even if it is for the slightly pragmatic reason that a long-time partner is the best partner. Backstory: A storied and grizzled independent. Jan van Gent was never part of the big five, instead operating with all sorts of factions all over the world as a mercenary contractor. He has probably fought with and against every major player on the current global stage, switching allegiances in quieter periods when hsi current employer's funds dried up, though always taking care not to antagonize anyone enough to draw the wrong sort of attention. A recent stint as a volkov subcontractor saw Jan assigned to New Anchorage. Political machinations above his control then saw volkvov retract their support, with jan's contract being terminated in the fallout. Jan simply shrugged and renegotiated a direct contract with New Anchorage's commander. Just another day on the job. Tactical Preference & Skills: Jan has great proficiency and experience at spotting and exploiting oppurtunities in a tactical situation. He has very good aim with all equipped weapons even at high speeds. He can concentrate on whatever his current target is without anything feasibly breaking his stride, though he is suspectible to a sort of tactical tunnel vision as well. Notes: Jan returns from the previous thread. Text Color: None due to player bias/laziness NC Codename: Goldenspur Appearance: The goldenspur is a grizzled mercenary machine, much like its pilot. Its frame is painted a muted black with gold details. While standing upright, its silhoutte is very visible due to its signature custom-built shoulder plates, somewhat resembling the skeletal wings of the winged hussar cavalry of old. These shoulder plates are folded over the NC's backside when in standby, but stretch to their full impressive length when shoulder weapons are deployed. Body & Type: A medium-class tank body. Original manufacturer is difficult to determine due to the amount of disparate custom parts mixed and matched to create the NC. Armor plating has been stripped and replaced with ligther variants on all sides save for the front to allow for greater manouverability. The NC has the unusual ability to fold downwards into a threaded tank-vehicle designed for speed and getaways. Equipment & Armaments: Goldenspur's main armament is a high-power plasma lance designed to punch through heavy armor and inflict catastrphic damage on internal systems. It requires a long pre-charge time and consumes most of the reactor's energy output when fired, also requiring a cooldown period afterwards. The goldenspur has two standard grade gimballed autoguns mounted on its shoulders. Energy consumption on them is low, and the caliber is sufficient to deal with most non-NC targets as well as posing a threat to NCs with lighter armor. In terms of defensive measures, the goldenspur has a standardized ECM array to deal with fire and forget missiles, a radar dampening coating on its armor, and a set of smoke launchers to disrupt visual contact. The smoke has a peculiar chemical composition that disperses lasers fired through it.

Subsets and Splits