Saturday, July 11, 2015

File #R9509: Angel Mauer. [Terra Nullius Lore]

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Subject's Name: Anton Mauer.
Subject's Alias: Angel Mauer.
Sex: Female (Born: Male)
Race: Deva
Age: 24
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 160 lbs.
Hair: Brown, Long.
Eyes: Gold.
Special Characteristics: Angel has experimented on herself with a number of biomedical implants; her most well known being her BREAST (Brachyoneural Repair and Electronic Arterial Surveillance Technology) implant.
Typical Garb: In the line of duty, Angel prefers urban camouflage, military fatigues, and tactical gear. She typically utilizes the universal symbol for healers and medics with her gear. Off duty, she prefers jeans and tank tops.
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Angel did not receive any formal combat training prior to reaching adulthood. At that point, Angel joined the Genesis Military as a combat medic. As per standard Genesis training for new recruits, Angel was put through boot camp and then into live combat scenarios. Genesis soldiers focus primarily on urban warfare, but as a result of of being a combat medic, Angel was deployed all across Terra Nullius to assist with Genesis efforts outside of Babylon and Ezra. Angel has a familiarity with firearms; preferring a specialized shotgun (known on the streets as a rail boomstick). It has a modified CPU to allow for auto-aiming and target exclusion. Beyond the shotgun, Angel utilizes special serums, drugs, and knowledge base to keep the team up and fighting; Angel acting in primarily a support role.

Skill Assessment:
Angel possesses above-average skills in a lot of fields  without formal training in thanks in part to a natural keen intelligence and wisdom, but also due to the natural inclinations possessed by deva. Many believe that deva are gifted in ways that other people aren't. Angel has studied arcane studies, nature studies, and religious studies formerly. Angel's official education and major was in medical studies; leading to a career choice as a combat medic. Naturally, Angel possesses an excellent insight into people via psychology studies and is very perceptive. Although not necessarily Angel's forte as a result of an introverted personality, Angel has taken steps towards diplomacy skills not only for patients, but with a possible eye on future world politics.

Background:
Angel Mauer was first born under the name of Anton Mauer. Genetically born a male, Anton struggled throughout his youth, teens, and early adulthood with his identity. But, that is getting ahead of ourselves a bit. Let's start with the basics.

Anton Mauer is born to a rather large family out in the Country--far from Babylon. His father worked as an Engineer for Genesis; overseeing mana reactor constructions and developments in mana-tech out in the field. Although Anton's family was large, he was different than his siblings. Born a Deva, Anton was heralded by his small community as a Chosen; someone meant for greatness sent to them by the Gods. If that's not a lot of responsibility to live up to, I don't know what is. Deva statistically have a high rate of suicide due to the pressure put on them by society as well as their feelings of isolation as being treated as holy or an outsider by the world at large. Luckily for Anton, his family was largely supportive and inclusive.

As per tradition for Devas, Anton was sent to a theological bordering school. He would visit home during breaks and summer vacations, but otherwise spent the majority of his time there. Anton was quick to latch onto philosophy, but also studied magic (arcane, divine, and primal) despite not having many magical inclinations himself. Biology, chemistry, and medical science all held interests for Anton as all--he'd eventually pursue a medical degree at a different school (one in Babylon upon his graduation from primary school).

As a child, he was introverted, quiet, and spent the majority of his time in fantasies. Art was a recreational interest of his and he even got in trouble for drawing 'medical' pictures in his youth; a fixation on large breasts (he had been caught drawing a realistic picture of a large chested schoolteacher of his). Anton was most happy when he was at school since he excelled there, and a close relationship with a professor of his (that he had a crush on) helped him with the eventual realization and transition into gender reassignment surgery (male to female). Anton took the name Angel (ironic for a deva) during the transitional process.

Upon returning from bordering school once in his late teens, Anton discovered that his family and hometown had been wiped out. Genesis Security was on hand; picking up the pieces of the wreckage. It seems that the country town had been turned into an example as a result of a conflict with the dwarven cartel (that had ties to the Mixtli Coatal). With family members either missing or dead, Anton returned to school and eventually went to the city of Babylon to receive his degree from medical school.

Anton made the acquaintance of Dr. Vesper Klein while in medical school. Klein often acted as an adjunct surgery specialist there for a legitimate source of income, though stopped volunteering there after her disconnect from Genesis. Klein assisted with the transition surgeries for Anton to become Angel (although that was not until their tenure with Genesis was finished) and even gave Anton a recommendation with Genesis.

With school finished, Anton pursued a career with Genesis. The company has some of the best training in the world along with career benefits and perks; it was a no brainier. With Genesis, Anton entered boot camp and became a combat medic. Although skilled, Anton had no particular missions that made him stand out during his time there. He had even met the acquaintances of Roan Mitchell at one point, although Roan did not recognize Anton after he had become Angel.

Due to compounding frustrations of his unremarkable time there and a soul searching trip that revealed Anton's desire to transition, the man left Genesis on and became the woman we know today with the help of Dr. Klein. Once transitioning into Angel, she began to pursue her own interests at the fullest, which lead her to my door as a Runner...

Runner History:
Angel eventually sought out the Middleman for reasons similar to most others. She has questions and heard that he had answers. I dug into her background during her recruitment phase and was impressed with what I saw. As a result of her skills as a combat medic and her knowledge base, I only assigned her high-risk missions (with the intent that she would get her team through it). Her first mission required the extraction of a high profile target; a Genesis executive's family had been kidnapped and ransomed. If it got out, it would ruin his career by making him look weak and easily undermined. Angel and her team effectively got out of there with no causalities on their end.

The second mission involved protecting an asset while it was transported out of the country. The team met with heavy attacks; outside forces that were interest in the acquirement of the asset. Angel puzzled together that the asset was a genetically modified monster from Project Rebirth being sent to the Pharaoh of Ramesses; a regal gryphon. Genesis was hoping that it would buy them good will for the creation of a mana reactor in the elves' desert.

She ultimately left the team as a result of morality differences. Most of the members were stone cold, battle hardened mercenaries who didn't care much whether or not the mission was completed. They were mostly in it for the killing.

The final mission involved her reassignment to the Runners. As I knew they would be facing the Olympians, I figured they would need a skilled medic to make it out of there alive. Sure enough, I was right. The danger facing the Runners increased exponentially. While Angel ultimately had no vendetta or ties to the mission at hand, she performed her duties professionally and effectively which resulted in the elimination of the Olympians, the extraction of Prometheus, and the retrieval of Pandora's Box for Rickenato.

While on the mission, Angel formed strong bonds with Setter and Managirl (Heather). She had good relationships with most of the others in the group with, perhaps, Kembu being the exception. My insight tells me that she formed a partnership with Setter out of all this and may serve in a mentor roll for Managirl in the future.

The answers to her Middleman questions were rather direct. I gave her a lead towards the largest known library of ancient knowledge in the world in Ramesses. I then told her the truth regarding the disappearance of her family and her town; that the dwarven cartels had a hand in it. Killing those that had caused them trouble and recruiting the rest for their slave trade. This likely influenced her decision to go with the Runners and execute the Mixtli Coatal cartel.

Motivations:
Angel's motivations are primarily a result of her own self-interests, though there is some nurturing aspect of her that could apply her goals to the world at large. Her long term goal is to explore the nature of Devas and other manaborn. An admirable goal; one I can support given my own nature as Genasi. I gave her the information as to where she could make some headway in her research. Genetic modification, genome research, ancient bloodlines, distinct pure races of old... its a complex issue. In that regards, her specific interest seems to be the manaborn's sterility. Its a modern phenomena, to be sure. It is for her own interest though as she desires to start a family.

From what I've seen of her, Angel also has an interest in the welfare of the world. A future in politics might be in the cards for her. Angel is working on her book of philosophy based off of her studies and world experience. She believes in an absolute morality (that none have found yet) and good will (good intentions, or having good in your heart as you act).

My assessment of Angel is that she is a capable person. I would not underestimate her in any scenario. She will go far. I hope to utilize her in several future affairs...

END REPORT
WD

File #S5318008: Death Otter [Terra Nullius Lore]

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Subject's Name: Vivienne Edgars.
Subject's Alias: D3@TH_0TTER.
Sex: Female.
Race: Human.
Age: 20.
Height: 5' 6"
Weight: 121 lbs.
Hair: Red.
Eyes: Green.
Special Characteristics: First Generation SEED implant, augmented with Athena base code and unique individual modifications.
Typical Garb: Otter prefers to dress in garbs that invoke a Goth or Punk vibe. Many would just call her style crazy as she often wears a mish-mash of whatever speaks to her in that moment. Typically, she wears a "stealth suit" that was stolen from Genesis to protect her and keep her out of view in most situations.
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Physically, Death Otter is unremarkable. She is a decent shot with a handgun, but is far more dangerous utilizing effects from her SEED. She appears to recognize her vulnerability, and uses a thermo-optic camouflage suit ("stealth suit") to avoid notice until she's found an advantageous position to operate from.
Her SEED makes her dangerous, especially when she has support from allied individuals. She is capable of interfering with enemy movement and actions, making them vulnerable to the attacks of others, or rendering their attacks less effective. Death Otter is in particular fond of altering the perceptions of others to her own amusement and/or advantage.
She suffers from a reckless nature and lack of patience in many cases though, which can provoke her into unwisely revealing herself, or otherwise putting herself at risk.

Skill Assessment:
Death Otter's skill-set is highly focused, and exceptionally well developed within her area of expertise. When it comes to illegally gaining access to a person, place, or digital object it's very hard to find better. Beyond this she is very intelligent, but rarely has the patience or discipline to apply herself to other fields of study. In most situations she relies on either being able to coast through situations on sheer intellect or luck, or on being able to gain whatever knowledge she needs via wireless network connection. Her physical skills are lacking, though she can get by through manipulating the machines and technology around her to her advantage. 

Background:
The daughter of wealthy upper-middle executives in Genesis, she wanted for very little as a child. She was technically minded from the start, perhaps inspired by her father's work in electronics and computer technology. In school however she suffered social anxiety and had difficulty connecting to peers. She retreated into online friendships to compensate, and began following the then-brand-new technology of SEEDs obsessively. Her parents, wishing to encourage their daughter, let her purchase one of the early models. Drawing on knowledge she gained from online friends, and contacts she'd made with her online persona, she learned how to bypass various safety features in the SEED; significantly improving its performance but at the cost of altered mental function and possible trauma.
It was at this point that the online persona of 'Death Otter' superseded her original identity. She hacked her father's accounts and used his authority to delete or alter her records, stole as much money as she could manage, and vanished underground; resurfacing a few months later almost unrecognizable from how she'd been. From shy to flamboyant, from timid to reckless, she now lived in real life with the same wild abandon that she'd only known from the safety of online avatars before. Unfortunately, this included a zealous disregard for rules and laws that ensured she could never return to her 'real' life.

Runner History:
For reasons that should be clear, the Middleman has never sought contact with Death Otter. Most of her clients hire her via online interaction with an avatar and never see her again; receiving the data they wanted, or software, or whatever, via electronic transfer. She has worked however with a few small teams in the past. Mei-Xing, a hengeyokai assassin, has worked with her on several occasions when she needed muscle that could perform infiltration.

When Mei-Xing teamed up with a group of my Runners, Death Otter was called in for her expertise. It was there than Death Otter's 'friendship' with individuals like Heather Morrisson (Managirl) and Aria Nacht began. She partook in the bringing down of the Olympians, primarily Athena, though that was a result of Death Otter's own vendetta rather than helping the Middleman.

Motivations:
Death Otter seems to take perverse pride in being difficult to ascribe consistent motivations to. However, there are patterns to her behavior, if one makes allowances for an unusually high number of outlier events. First and foremost, she resents any form of authority over her, and takes vicious pleasure in punishing any such entity in ways both small and large. Second, she has expensive tastes in hobbies, and is very mercenary in her outlook as a result. Finally, she appears to be a creature of whim, who acts immediately on whatever impulse she experiences at the moment. It is not quite fair to say that she fails to consider the consequences of these actions. Rather, it appear she considers them, and continues anyway, confident she can either deal with those consequences or avoid them entirely.

END REPORT
WD

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Playtest Character Creation Information

AMP - Year One:
Character Creation (PG 38)
-Fill out the concept lines (childhood, adulthood, gender/sexuality, ethnicity/race, demeanor/appearance). Make it one-two sentences. It'll be longer if we play this as a campaign. Assume your character is college age, class-mates, and you don't know about your powers prior to our first session.

-Loyalties: You get 10 points. There are eight different Loyalties to choose from. Your loyalties can have anywhere between 0 to 5 ranks. Loyalties confer different bonuses.

-Affilations: Pick Unaffilated (16 BP). I may open it to other Affilations for an actual campaign.

-Skills: You get 35 skill points to spend between 22 skills. I am putting a cap of 5 on each skill. You can choose specialities if they make sense for your character. I can veto specialities that don't make sense or seem cheap.

-Powers: I'd prefer each player pick a different Strain, but won't require that you do. Be aware that if you pick a secondary or teitary power outside your core Strain, its harder to level up as a campaign would go on. You get 6 points and can choose a primary, secondary, and teitary power, then spend your points amongst your powers. For every 2 points in a power, you can pick an augment or trick. It is important to note that you can just choose one power (primary) and put 6 points in it. Or you can just pick a primary or secondary power. Essentially, you can make your power options look like this...

6
5/1
4/2
3/3
4/1/1
3/2/1
2/2/2

-Bonus Points: Because you're unaffiliated, you get 16 bonus points. You can spend these in different ways (Gifts, Skill Levels, Power Levels, Specialties, Augments, and Loyalties).

-Drawbacks: This is an optional, but you can take drawbacks (up to 10 BP's worth). By taking a drawback, you gain additional BP and can spend it on the aforementioned stuff.

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Once you've done all that, you kind of fill in the rest of your sheet with the following information...

-Integrity: This is the amount of damage you can take. You begin with intergrity equal to 10 + your Fortitude.

-Juice: This fuels your powers. Tricks and augments often cost juice. You start the day with 3 juice, but can't have more than 10 juice at a time unless you have an ability that allows you to ignore this limitation. You can take a rest (30 mins) to regain 3 starting juice. You can gain or lose juice through your actions (up to the DM's whims though). There is a list of actions that might earn juice for players.

-Movement: Figure out your different movement speeds. On foot, your movement is Athletics + Speed + 5 feet (1 square) per round. You can run and move your movement x 15 feet (3 squares) per round.

-Jumping: You can jump Might + Athletics + 4 feet horizontally or half this value vertically. You can add 50% to a horizonal distance with a running start of at least 10 feet. You can also make a Simple (10) Might + Atlethics jumping check to add 4 feet per boost.

-Climbing: You make Athletics + Speed checks and can travel at a rate of (Movement / 2) while climbing.

-Swimming: Accessible only with 1 rank in Athletics. In calm waters, no checks are needed and you can move at a rate of (Movement / 2). In harder waters, you may need a Might + Athletics check.

-Chase: Chasing another character is an opposed movement check (1d20 + movement vs 1d20 + movement). The difference between the checks reflects the number of feet gained or lost.

An idea of combat...
It seems more involved that most systems. Its always opposing dice rolls (Fighting vs Dodge for example). Initiative changes from round to round. The system actually uses an interesting aspect--you combo your skills together (adding them together) for checks where it makes sense. When it doesn't make sense, you get to add your 1.5x your normal skill modifier. There's no stats like in D&D, that's kind of covered in your skills instead.

---------------------------
NUMENERA

-Basic: This game works under this concept: "I am an adjective noun who verbs." An example, "I am a Rugged Glaive who Controls Beasts."
The adjective is your descriptor (character descriptor).
The noun is your character type (class).
The verb is your focus (character foci.)

Stats: You have three stats (MIGHT, SPEED, INTELLECT). Each stat has two components (POOL and EDGE). Pool represents your raw, innate ability while Edge represents knowing how to use what you have. A third element ties into this concept: Effort. When your character really needs to do something, you apply effort.

Character Type: This is like your class. You pick from Glaive, Nano, and Jack. Your stat pools are pre-determined by your class, but you're given additional points to customize and spend how you want between your stats. To think of it in simple terms, Glaive is a Warrior, Nano is a Wizard, and Jack is a Rogue.

Tiers: Basically levels (1-6). We're playing in First-Tier, so you get the abilities under the First Tier of your classes.

After you picked your character type, you pick your descriptor (from a list of 12). These give your characters additional perks, so you want to look each of them over.

After that, you pick your character focus (from a long list of options). These give your characters additional perks, so you want to look each of them over.

The character type is sort of the core of your PC. The descriptor is generally used to enhance your character type (eg. Strong is a good choice for a Glaive). The character focus is really your chance to make your PC stand out; it'll be what helps make you unique to other PCs. For example, Howls at the Moon makes you a werewolf basically! They're all cool stuff.

I'd prefer you each pick different character focuses, but won't require it.

And that's it for character generation. Pretty straight forward as you read through the chapter on it. Rather than HP, it looks like combat damage hurts your stat pools. Damage is generally always a specific amount, though there can be modifiers. Most stuff is done with a d20 roll it looks like. Armor is damage reduction. When a pool reaches 0, you move down one on the damage track (hale, impaired, debilitated, and dead). Hale is your default state.  Players make the majority of rolls. If you're attacking, you're trying to beat a DC. If you're defending, you're trying to hit a DC.

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DEADLANDS (SAVAGE WORLDS)

*Race: You're all humans, since this takes place on Earth. Feel free to pick any ethnicity, many people immigrated to the US. All humans receive 1 free Edge for their racial traits.

*Traits: Defined by two things (Attributes and Skills). Attributes are like your stats in D&D, Skills are similiar, but encompass more (attack rolls, dodging, etc). Each stat (Agility, Smarts, Spirit, Strength, Vigor) starts at 1d4. You have 5 points with which to raise them. For each point you spend, you raise the die for it by 1. (Eg. d4 -> d6 -> d8 -> d10 -> d12). An attribute can't be higher than d12.

For Skills, you have 15 points to spend. For each point you spend, you increase the die associated with that skill by 1 (starting at d4) as long as the skill is equal to or less than the attribute it's linked to. If you exceed the attribute, the cost becomes 2 points per die type. No skill may be increased above d12. We're using all the standard skills presented in the Core Rulebook.

*Derived Statistics: You have a few other stats that you'll need to fill in including CHA, PACE, PARRY, and TOUGHNESS.

--CHA: Your character's appearance, manner, and likability. This is normally 0 unless you have an Edge or Hindrance that modifies it. It gets added to Persuasion and Streetwise rolls and determines how NPCs react to your hero.

--PACE: How fast you move in a combat round. You walk 6" in a round, and can move an additional 1d6" if you run.

--PARRY: This is equal to 2 + half your character's Fighting skill, plus any bonuses for shield or certain weapons. This is the Target Number to hit your hero in hand-to-hand combat.

--TOUGHNESS: This is your hero's damage threshold. Anything over this causes him to be rattled or worse. Toughness is 2 + half your hero's Vigor, plus Armor. Vigor over a d12 is calculated just like Parry.

--GRIT: This is specific to Deadlands. You receive 1 point in Grit for each level you are (novice, etc.). Each point of Grit adds +1 to Spirit rolls.

*Edges and Hindrances:
A Hindrance is kind of like a "flaw". You pick one Major Hindrance and two Minor Hindrances. A Major Hindrance is worth 2 points and a Minor Hindrance is worth 1 point.

For 2 points, you can raise an attribute one die type or choose an Edge. For 1 point, you can gain another skill point or gain additional starting money ($250).

You can choose from Hindrances presented in the Core Rulebook or the Deadland's PDF.

You can choose from Edges presented in the Core Rulebook or the Deadland's PDF. Take ones that make sense; I may veto ones that aren't campaign approriate. For those looking to play a "caster", this is how you do it. You take the edge Arcane Background and pick the one for your archetype (eg. magic, miracles, shamanism, chi mastery, weird science). Psionics/Super Powers aren't allowed, same with the Mentalist, Soul Drain, and Wizard edges. You can also only take one Arcane Background edge per PC.

*Gear:
You start with $250 with which to buy your equipment with and a set of clothes. Use the Deadland's PDF for your equipment (PG 55-57).

*Languages:
You start out with English. If you wish to know another language, you'll need to put some effort into the Knowledge skill.

*Background/Worst Nightmare:
Background is just fluff; so figure out your character's backstory. Worst Nightmare ties in specifically to Deadlands. Figure out what your character is afraid of. Choose one thing. Try to pick different concepts (see PG 23+) for your characters, just so y'all are unique and fit into the setting.

*CAMPAIGN NOTES:
The Deadlands PDF refers to a Guts Attribute. We're not using that. When it refers to Guts, we're instead using the Spirit attribute.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Next Campaign Finalists

Terra Nullius - The Crucible
-System: 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons
-House Rules: Utilizing the same House Rules used in the first Terra Nullius Campaign.
-Setting: Terra Nullius (Homebrewed Science Fantasy.)

-Premise: Old and new Runners alike band together to root out the Cabal. This faction is said to pull the strings of the world from the shadows. From an ailing, dying dragon that hides itself in the ruins of an ancient civilization to a powerful undead necromancer buried underneath the sands of the elven deserts, the Cabal is an alliance of ancient, extinct creatures who long ago defeated any and all adventuring heroes. The bad guys won long ago and have been in power since...

Now, those who've learned about the Cabal's existence seek to bring them into the light and destroy them in order to free the world from their influence. Band together and work with people like Dr. Vesper Klein, Watchdog, the Middleman, and Gwen Morrisson in hopes of making Terra Nullius a better place for everyone.

Zeitgeist - The Gears of Revolution
-System: Pathfinder Dungeons and Dragons
-House Rules: TBD.
-Setting: Zeitgeist (Picture a Fantasy world that entered into the Industrial Revolution. Victorian England inspired.)

-Premise: You serve the Royal Homeland Constabulary (RHC) for the nation of Risur. You protect the country, the citizens, and the king from foreign threats lurking within Risur's borders. During missions of espionage and assassination, your duty will be to root out hostile spies and pursue international conspiracies. As you learn more of your homeland’s own secrets, however, your loyalties may be tested, may even be turned, and you may find that it is you whose hand controls the gears of the turning age.


The World's Largest Dungeon - Heaven and Hell
-System: Pathfinder Dungeons and Dragons
-House Rules: TBD.
-Setting: Terra Nullius (Fantasy)

-Premise: You wake up in the cold darkness. Your eyes slowly adjust. You seem to be underground in a dungeon and you have no idea how you got here. There seems to be no obvious exit--other than going forward and hoping you find a way out. Luckily, you're not alone; you'll have to band together with a small team of other people in your position. You will have to confront deadly denizens, tricky traps, and weave through the complex ecosystems and social groups that have risen down here. As you attempt to survive, you begin to uncover the truth about what this place is...

Deadlands - The Weird West
-System: Savage Worlds
-House Rules: TBD.
-Setting: Deadlands (Wild West with Steampunk and Magic.)

-Premise: On July 4th of 1863, Earth's history diverted. Mysterious beings called the Reckoners have given life to monsters and magic. The South has won its independence, California has shattered into a labyrinth of flooded sea-canyons, and a mysterious super-fuel called “ghost rock” has spawned as much war and strife as it has “steampunk” devices. Players are steely-eyed gunfighters, card-slinging sorcerers called hucksters, mysterious shamans, savage braves, mad scientists, and more who battle against evil and attempt to prevent the “Reckoning”.

 AMP - Year One
-System: AMP
-House Rules: TBD
-Setting: AMP (Modern 'normal' times.)

-Premise: Generations ago, your family members were involved in a top secret project. The purpose of it? To create a serum that would result in extraordinary powers (the birth of super soldiers). These experiments were deemed failures and the project was shut down. However, one day, the descendants of the volunteers involved in the project spontaneously developed supernatural powers. Some can control the elements, others can shapeshift into animals, others can control minds or utilize telekinesis. You are one of these descendants. We are in the first year of this new phenomenon, full of secrecy, conspiracy and danger for everyone involved. As humans begin to notice these new and often terrifying people with abilities, not everyone reacts accepting. This is not the supers game of tights and capes, but instead of shadows and choices.

Numenera
-System: Numenera
-House Rules: TBD
-Setting: Numenera (The far future; where technology is indistinguishable from magic.)

-Premise: One billion years in the future, the Earth looks like a very different place. There have been eight previous worlds; you now live in the Ninth World. Built on the bones of these old worlds, the Ninth World fears a similar fate. You explore the remnants of these ancient wonders of the world not for their own sake, but as a mean to improve the present and build a future.

More often, however, when you find leftovers of the old worlds—the devices, the vast machine complexes, the altered landscapes, the changes wrought upon living creatures by ancient energies, the invisible nano-spirits hovering in the air in clouds called the Iron Wind, the information transmitted into the so-called datasphere, and the remnants of visitors from other dimensions and alien planets—they call these things the numenera. In the Ninth World, the numenera is both a boon and a bane. It makes life very different from any other time on Earth. Carve out a life for you and your people--explore the world of Numenera.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

File #S22359: Aria Nacht [Terra Nullius Lore]

... Middleman Database.
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... Log In: Watchdog
... Password: ************
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... Password Accepted.
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... Query: File #S22359.
...
... File #S22359 Loaded.
...

Subject's Name: Aria Nacht
Subject's Alias: Aria Jager
Sex: Female
Race: Human
Age: 16
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 115 lbs.
Hair: Black, Short (Natural Color: Red.)
Eyes: Green.
Special Characteristics: Aria has a 'MC' tattoo on her lower back. The winged snake design with it is a mark that the Mixtli Coatal (a Dwarven Cartel) put on their slaves. She received it when she was just a child and was held captive by the cartel.
Typical Garb: Private school uniform - skirt, stockings, blouse, boots, and tie. Aria likes to wear arm warmers and a baseball cap with it. (Previously utilized tactical gear suitable for an assassin.)
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Aria's previous strengths were good hand-eye coordination, athleticism, and limberness. She possessed great dexterity and constitution; having a high tolerance for pain and the ability to keep up a strong pace over extended periods of time even after sustaining severe damage. Her physical strength was below average, but she overcame that through intense training so that she would be able to quickly scale buildings either through climbing or jumping. Her intelligence, wisdom, and charisma were either average or slightly above average. Her talents rested in reading people and deceiving them when necessary.

Kyou, a skillful hengeyokai monk, trained Aria in hand-to-hand combat as soon as she was freed from the cartel as a child. While at first it seemed like simple self defense lesson, Kyou was actually training Aria in the ancient art of ninjutsu. He was instilling in her the skills that she would need to evade trouble, but to strike swiftly and without mercy if it became necessary. Aria is skillful with weapons like the ninja-to, shurikens, and the kursari-gama. She is also familiar with more modern weapons like pistols, sniper rifles, assault rifles, and shotguns.

Since the accident in the final run that she participated in, an explosion that left Aria with severe nerve damage in her legs, she has been slowly attempting to regain her skills through physical therapy. She is at the point where she can walk for extended periods of time, but she can't yet fight at the level she used to. It is unsure if she will ever be capable of that again, and as a result, she is pursuing other avenues for her skills. She's looking for a tutor to teach her how to become a Freediver... and rumor has it she found one in the infamous Death_Otter.

Skill Assessment:
Aria's physical skills were at the peak of human level when she was at her best. She was capable of easily scaling walls and buildings, leaping from place to place, and avoiding attacks right before they hit her. As mentioned previously, Aria trained in deception, deceit, and misdirection. She was poor at diplomacy and intimidating, but knew how to redirect things in her favor. Either she could turn someone against someone else with her words, or convince her to help them by redirecting their anger.

Like her sister, Aria possessed keen eyes that were capable of picking up miniscule details in her environment or reading a situation; often with the goal to determine how someone might react to a certain course of action. This allowed her to anticipate threats and control the situation as necessary. She also had a fine understanding of computers, traps, and locks that allowed her to to get in and out of places she wasn't supposed to be. To top it all off, she knew how to utilize stealth tactics to go about undetected; from the shadows to a crowd, Aria was hard to detect. She made for a perfect assassin when all was said and done with.

Background:
Aria Nacht is a young woman with a torrid past; born into sex trade of the dwarven cartels. Her father is the infamous Leonhardt Nacht while her mother is Hannelore Steinway. Nacht had been assigned to infiltrate the dwarven cartel scene and act as a double agent on behalf of Genesis. As part of his duties, he was required to acquire prisoners for the Mixtli Coatal's human trafficking services. The cartel used women as sex slaves.

One of the women kept entrapped by the cartel was Hannelore Steinway. Nacht made the mistake of getting too close to a mission that he was supposed to harden himself from. During his tenure with the dwarves, he became attached to Hannelore and fell in love with her. Nacht seemed to be Hannah's one point of light in her dark world, and as a result, grew closer to him. The two eventually consummated their love which resulted in the birth of Aria and her sister, Kara.

When Aria (and Kara) were born, they were taken away from their mother early on. It was a common Cartel tactic to shuffle girls around different hideouts. Nacht would often watch out for Kara and Aria, and report what he knew of the girls to Hannelore when he could. However, it was mostly up to the girls around the hideout that Aria was kept in to lookout for her and keep her safe. Although Aria was shielded for many things, the horrors that went on among the cartel and their sex slaves no doubt left an impression on her mind for years to come.

Nacht would eventually get Genesis to agree to the extraction of Kara, Aria, and Hannelore. When Aria was a child, she was transported in one of the cartel caravans to a new hideout where she would finally begin her life as a true sex slave. Her caravan was hit by a Genesis Extraction team lead by Leonhardt Nacht. His team was able to rescue Aria safely. He had received word that Hannelore had been rescued as well, but Kara was missing in action as a result of the intervention of a hengeyokai swordsman (a fact that Nacht would not learn until he came into my service as a runner briefly).

Aria and Hannelore were brought to the city of Babylon by Nacht. At that point, the three family members were able to start life semi-anew in a mansion. Using the wealth he had acquired from his tenure at Genesis, Nacht acquired the life that he had always promised Hannelore. It was there that the Nacht family attempted to rebuilt, but the scars of the past ran too deep.

Aria had a relatively normal life; her mother watched over and sung her songs. The two bonded, and Aria knew the love of a mother. Nacht's friend, Kyou (a hengeyokai martial artist), along with another sex slave that had escaped with Hannelore (Jennifer), lived with the Nacht family. Jennifer helped take care of the family day-to-day while Kyou began an intense training regiment with the home schooled Aria.

However, through Aria's childhood and transition into her teenage years, Nacht became obsessed with locating Kara. At first, he was optimistic and pursued the goal at all cost. However, he became worn down overtime when all of his leads became dead ends. Both Aria and Hannelore would ask about Kara. At first, Nacht gave them hope--but as time went on, he soon turned his frustrations upon the pair. Every time he was asked about Kara, it was like being stuck with a knife.

Over the years, the turmoil in the house of Nacht grew worse and worse. Hannelore grew frustrated at Nacht's inability to locate Kara and his growing distance and anger turned into resentment towards her. What is worse, Nacht's old handler in Genesis who was attempting to extract him from all cartel business had died suddenly, and was replaced by the ambitious Gwen Morrisson. Looking for results, Gwen refused Nacht's request to withdraw from cartel business.

This pushed Nacht into a corner--he vowed to save what was left of his family. Hannelore hoped that by getting away from Genesis and the city, that their family would be healed as well by the growing turmoil and stress caused by the loss of Kara along with the continued business with the cartel. However, upon their attempt to escape the city, Genesis intervened and help the family captive.

From there, well, the rest gets blurry, as you'll find in Aria's Runner History...

Runner History:
Aria was never an official runner of the Middleman. I had kept tabs on her as a result of her connection to Leonhardt Nacht, but beyond that, I did not have much interest in her as she grew up. However, upon seeing her sister, Kara (Kembu) on the news during the skirmish between the runners and their doppelgangers (courtesy of the Olympians), Aria left her cushy home life to seek her out at all costs; thinking that she was doing her father a favor by finding their long lost sister. In her heart of hearts, she knew that it was her sister when Nacht had not been able to piece it together yet; blinded by rage as he was.

Given that I was fully aware of the delicate home life that she came from, along with the interest other parties had in the girl, I decided to intervene and make myself known to her. I provided her with the details necessary to locate Kara; which Aria managed to at the Bulette's Brawl. From there, Aria assisted the runners with the take down of the Olympians and the acquirement of Pandora's Box for their client Rickenato.

Aria proved herself to be a useful asset on the team; initially utilizing the hand-to-hand combat she was trained with, but once her memories unlocked of her other skills, she truly became a deadly force that specialized in one-hit kills...much like her sister. Aria was primarily motivated by reuniting her family, so she had little stake in the mission. She did grow a dislike towards Gwen Morrisson for her assumed role in 'ruining' her family as more of the 'details' came out about the situation from various sources (both reliable and unreliable).

After the mission, when I was giving the Runners their 'rewards', Aria pressured me into providing her insight into her unique situation. As a favor to her for the service she had performed for the Middleman, I decided to oblige her and unlocked the memories that I had discovered within her mind. The memories that I viewed in her mind detailed Aria's life growing up in Babylon under the care of Hannelore (her mother), Nacht (her father), Kyou (her training instructor), and Jessica (her maid and caretaker).

I saw that upon trying to flee the city in order to escape the pressure of Genesis, Nacht and his family were captured by Gwen Morrisson. According to the memories that I read, Gwen Morrisson utilized the Freediver known as Athena to wipe Hannelore's memories and keep her as a hostage to force Nacht to do what Gwen wanted. Beyond that, it seemed that Gwen also used Athena to mind control Aria and use the girl to assassinate high priority targets within the Genesis infrastructure that were in Gwen's way. To be frank, these memories seemed suspect to me, but I couldn't find anything within Aria that out-right contradicted it. Her mind is quite wounded and damaged, from both physical and psychological trauma over the years. An untrustworthy narrative, if you will, possibly because of Aria herself, but also likely because of tampering from another source. My money is on Athena.

Beyond that, she had also learned that Leonhardt Nacht had acted as a Runner for me in the past. In exchange for his services, I gave him information regarding Hannelore and Kara. He unfortunately did not ask the right questions that would lead to Kara, but it gave him an idea on how to rescue Hannelore. Additionally, he had me 'lock' the memories Aria had within her own mind in an attempt to give her a normal life. You saw how well that worked when the bleeding effect began when Aria encountered Kara.

Moving on... Aria snapped upon learning the information that I shared with her, finding it difficult to accept. Driven by revenge, and a desire to reunite her family still, the girl agreed to go with the group to take down the Mixtli Coatal. On her own, she began making plans that would allow her to rescue Leonhardt Nacht (captured by the cartel), rescue her mother, and kill Gwen Morrisson. Let it never be said that Aria was not ambitious...

Aria was the driving force behind the execution of the Bronzeknuckle Brothers (a crew that Setter Blackpaw wanted dead for their role in the destruction of his Caravan Team). She at times displayed her sister's impatience, but she was often tempered by her training and kept in control of the situation. Things went wrong for her at the final confrontation. She had attempted to jury-rig a suit of KNIGHT armor to explode with C4; a self-propelled rocket to kill the cartel leaders should negotiations go south. However, a wire was crossed at the wrong time, and Aria found herself faced with the choice of ruining the negotiations by launching a preemptive missile at the dwarves, or attempt to disarm it.

Rather than risk her father being killed if the negotiations went south, Aria tried disarming the bomb she created, and failed. She managed to kick away the bomb at the last moment, but it left her legs shredded and useless when it detonated. Her team (Angel in particular) was able to save her, and salvage the chaos that unfolded soon after... in the end she was successful in reuniting with her father, and introducing her father to her sister. Whether or not the Nacht family is truly reunited with the mother remains to be seen...

Motivations:
Aria is primarily motivated by family and friendship. She grew up with an absent father who doted on her, a mother that that babied her, and servants that catered to her whims. Her master, Kyou, managed to keep her grounded on some level with the result being that Aria puts a big stake in her family and friends. In her early years, she was obsessed with finding her long lost sister. Upon finding her, the two seem to have a strong relationship, even if they disagree on somethings.

When that family was shattered and torn apart, Aria put all of her effort into healing it. Now that she has her father and her sister, she will likely pursue her mother. From what I know of the situation, I am unsure if Aria will be successful in her goal of reuniting her family. I wish her the best of luck with it, and I can see her becoming increasingly interested in the well being of this city. She, like many runners, may become a major player in the politics of this city down the road...

END REPORT
WD


















Tuesday, April 21, 2015

File #R9526: Kembu Hiryuu [Terra Nullius Lore]

... Middleman Database.
...
... Log In: Watchdog
... Password: ************
...
... Password Accepted.
...
... Query: File #R9526.
...
... File #R9526 Loaded.
...

Subject's Name: Kara Nacht
Subject's Alias: Kembu Hiryuu (Translation: Flying Dragon Sword Dance)
Sex: Female (often poses as Male)
Race: Human
Age: 16
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 130 lbs.
Hair: Red, long ponytail.
Eyes: Green.
Special Characteristics: Kara has a 'MC' tattoo on her lower back. The winged snake design with it is a mark that the Mixtli Coatal (a Dwarven Cartel) put on their slaves. She received it when she was just a child and was held captive by the cartel.
Typical Garb: Jeans, sneakers, undershirt, and long coat.
Status: Alive.

Combat Assessment:
Kembu possesses above average strength and constitution from the training she has undergone throughout her life. Her intelligence is below average, but that is from a lack of formal education rather than stupidity (though I'm sure there are those who would disagree at this point). What she lacks in formal intelligence she makes up for with her wisdom; capable of examining a problem and figuring out a solution to it.

The thing that makes Kembu stand out the most is her dexterity and unnatural speed. Through the harsh training she has undergone, a training that very few left in this world know of, Kembu has mastered the art of battojutsu (the craft of drawing out the sword). As the modern world grew and adopted the use of the firearm, the samurai from Musashi began to adapt their own ways. Battojutsu began to transform in a style known as Kamigami no Tsurugi (sword of the heavens). The only two users of this style that I know of include Kara and the one who trained her: Borai. As I understand it, the core idea is to be able to close and slay a gun wielder before they even have time to draw and fire a shot. To achieve this inhuman talent, the user's body is pushed to the limits. Even at Kara's young age, I can see the stress and toll her body has already undergone to practice this style.

Before an opponent is even aware of what is going on, Kembu can be in front of them and drawing her sword in a single, deadly strike. The momentum carries her and her weapon in a way that is difficult to guard against it. For my own interests, I have dived within Kembu's mind (with her permission) and acquired an intimate understanding of her swordsmanship style. I hope to mirror it and utilize it for my own purposes.

Skill Assessment:
Kembu's physical skills (athletics, acrobatics, endurance) should be considered at the peak level for a human, if not beyond that. She is capable of leaping supernatural lengths; from one building to another. Hengeyokai that I have spoke to suggest a talent like this would come as a result of mastering one's ki. Additionally, she has a high tolerance for pain, capable of fighting until truly dead.

Beyond those features, Kembu is good at reading situations and people. Whether it is examining a room for danger or picking up on the body language of an opponent, nothing seems to get past her eyes. Finally, while Kembu prefers to negotiate in most situations, her uncompromising morals often find her in scenarios where she must utilize intimidation to get to a peaceful solution.

Background:
Kembu Hiryuu is the alias for a young woman born under the name of Kara Nacht. Her father is the infamous Leonhardt Nacht while her mother is Hannelore Steinway. Nacht had been assigned to infiltrate the dwarven cartel scene and act as a double agent on behalf of Genesis. As part of his duties, he was required to acquire prisoners for the Mixtli Coatal's human trafficking services. The cartel used women as sex slaves.

One of the women kept entrapped by the cartel was Hannelore Steinway. Nacht made the mistake of getting too close to a mission that he was supposed to harden himself from. During his tenure with the dwarves, he became attached to Hannelore and fell in love with her. Nacht seemed to be Hannah's one point of light in her dark world, and as a result, grew closer to him. The two eventually consummated their love which resulted in the birth of Kara and her sister, Aria.

When Kara (and Aria) were born, they were taken away from their mother early on. It was a common Cartel tactic to shuffle girls around different hideouts. Nacht would often watch out for Kara and Aria, and report what he knew of the girls to Hannelore when he could. However, it was mostly up to the girls around the hideout that Kara was kept in to lookout for her and keep her safe. Although Kara was shielded for many things, the horrors that went on among the cartel and their sex slaves no doubt left an impression on her mind for years to come.

Nacht would eventually get Genesis to agree to the extraction of Kara, Aria, and Hannelore. When Kara was a child, she was transported in one of the cartel caravans to a new hideout where she would finally begin her life as a true sex slave. Her caravan was hit by a Genesis Extraction team, and chaos erupted. The dwarves seemed to be well prepared for it and fought intensely. Neither side expected a third party to arrive on the scene--a hengeyokai swordsman by the name of Borai.

Kara, spurred on by fear and a will to live, lashed out at the dwarves that tried to carry her off. She even fought against the Genesis Extraction team. Surprisingly, Kara killed a few men with a knife that she ripped off of one of the dwarves. The majority of the women were killed; either in the chaos or in attempts to protect Kara. Ultimately, despite Kara's fierceness, she would've been killed in the crossfire if not for the intervention of Borai. The swordsman ultimately won the three way standoff.

Borai offered her a chance to live; seeing the fire in the young girl's eyes. He gave her the chance to become his pupil; something he had never offered anyone else before. Kara agreed, for what else was there to do? After burying the dead, the two of them left into the countryside of Ezra to begin their training.

In order to hide Kara from the world, and to avoid any unwanted animosity, Borai forced Kara to adopt the identity of Kembu Hiryuu and live her life as a boy from then on. It was then the two of them traveled from caravan to caravan; allowing Kara to become immersed in hengeyokai culture. With renewed purpose and finally free for the first time in life, Kara embraced everything that she had been given by Borai.

At the end of this time period, Kara would become a teenager with a deadly set of skills. Trained in the ancient art of battojutsu, a swordsman style few people know, fewer in Ezra, she would adopt the honor system used by the samurai of Musashi. Kara ultimately wanted to help people and make the world a better place while further developing her own skills. Eventually, she would part ways from her master for a time, so that she could explore the world on her own.

When this time came, Kara would eventually find herself on a horse-drawn bus to the city of Babylon...

Runner History:
Upon arriving in Babylon, Kara would find a little girl by the name of Lisa Trent. Her sister, Brittany Trent, was kidnapped by the Mixtli Coatal. The girl was kidnapped due to her unique heritage (a descendent of celestials) and mutation (more celestial than deva); perfect for Genesis' Project Rebirth. Kara began taking care of Lisa Trent and sought out the gang that kidnapped Brittany Trent. Eventually, her leads would run dry, and she would be pointed in the direction of the Middleman.

Unlike many of the runners that come to us, Kara made it clear that she would not take missions that would result in, more or less, 'evil actions'. From killing innocents to theft, Kara made her morals and honor clear to us. This made it difficult for the Middleman, though I found myself intrigued. It is rare to find someone who stands by their convictions in Babylon, let alone someone who's moral compass also swings to the side of 'good'.

Yet, this also made Kara inflexible in some regards; something her teammates would find out, and that would prove difficult in their missions. Nevertheless, I paired her with a team that I felt would be able to get along with her; people that shared similar interests in doing good. In their first mission, Kara proved that her training provided her an excellent foundation of skills and abilities that would make her a great asset to the team.

Kara's role on the team was simple: a striker. Someone capable of moving in quickly and killing a target when it needed to be killed. She had no qualms of killing a person who deserved it, often giving people the chance to surrender or stand down. Those who didn't often found themselves wishing they had in their last moments.

When their second mission took them away from Babylon and to Quiet Mountain, Kara began to grow anxious; believing that Brittany's life hung in the balance and that the girl was at risk everyday of dying (or something worse). As I knew where Brittany was and what she was going through, I did not worry. At Quiet Mountain, Kara would make friends with Dr. Vesper Klein, though as time went on, Kara became more cautious of Klein given the doctor's cold demeanor to human life.

At Quiet Mountain, Kara would cross swords with a fabled Oni. The demon ended up being absorbed into Kara's blade when she sealed it, and it spurred her on to take more lives. She found herself unable to stay her hands from a killing blow. Frightened that she was beginning to like the taste of death, Kara eventually sought out a witch in Babylon who provided her a charm that neutralized the spirit. The spirit would eventually be unleashed again during the climatic confrontation with the Cartel where Kembu would be free of its corruption for good.

The last mission would prove her hardest: Pandora's Box. In addition to being mixed up with the politics of her family (such as the reunion with her sister, and the growing feud between Nacht and Roan), Kara found herself fighting some of the strongest men and women alive. At the end of it, she (with the help of the other runners) would save Babylon from Athena's total destruction...

The first of Kara's questions to the Middleman involved the whereabouts of Brittany. Easy enough; I gave him the address. The second question was who was behind the kidnapping. It was a long answer, but the short of it was Leonhardt Nacht. He arranged the kidnapping of the girl while working with the Mixtli Coatal. This was of course before everything went to shit between Genesis, Nacht, and the Dwarves. Finally, Kara questioned what the ultimate goal of the Middleman was. A complicated answer, but in short, the Middleman seeks to bring Ezra into a new golden age. He wants to banish the corporatocracy and bring about a democracy so that the people can take back their lives.

Kara also took it upon herself to take on the charge of her deceased teammate, Trajan. Kara offered to take on the responsibility of saving Tanner, the little tiefling boy Trajan had been looking for before he passed away (his reason for seeking out the Middleman). Tanner, Brittany, and countless other captives would eventually be saved as a result of the strike Kara and the other runners performed against the Mixtli Coatal.

During her time as a runner, Kara sought to develop a relationship with me. At first, it seemed one of necessity; I could keep Lisa Trent safe and help her with questions that she had. As she learned more of me, I believe the notion of friendship began to develop. When I look at her now, I can sense that there is more complicated feelings there; ones that she doesn't fully understand herself yet. I know those feelings too well. The way she looks at me is the way I once looked upon my own mentor; when feelings of admiration grew into something more...

Motivations:
Kara is primarily motivated by honor and duty. She wants to do the right thing, help people, and make the world a better place. In the quest for this, she is rigid and inflexible. She will not bend to the demands of other people and refuses to compromise; she will not do bad things for a good cause. With everything that has happened during her time as a runner, Kara plans to draw from that well of experience and try to transform Babylon into a better place for the people that live in it.

On the side, Kara is likely looking to fix her family, but given the dynamic of it... it seems all but impossible to me.


END REPORT
WD

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Aria's Past - Middleman Information [Terra Nullius Lore]


I found this while going over old notes. This was some information Aria received when she completed the Middleman missions and approached Watchdogs. It is important to note that, in character, Gwen Morrisson claims that the information covered below is false and was altered by Athena. That in actuality, Athena utilized Aria to eliminate targets within Genesis.

---------------

By conferring with the Middleman, you have been given an opportunity to discover your past. With his blessing, you have decided to enter one of the backrooms of the Lucky Cat Inn. You enter this backroom and find yourself in a small area with only a single light to illuminate it. There are no exits beyond the door that you came in.

There is a comfortable leather couch that is across from another one with a coffee table between them. Sitting on the far couch is the man known as Watchdog. Known as something of a vigilante in Babylon, the Watchdog is an infamous freediver. Many people claim he doesn’t exist—an urban legend; others are diehard believers and promote his image through graffiti and stories.

The Watchdog is said to be everywhere at once. Every camera, every cell phone, every person are his eyes and ears. He can blend seamlessly into any crowd, but can also make himself stand out amongst thousands at a whim.

There is a half empty cup of coffee sitting on the table. Watchdog has removed his typical scarf and hat; allowing for you to see his face. His features are plain, with perhaps a lingering hint of charm and good looks that he downplays with a somber attitude. His brown hair is kept short while his piercing eyes stand out thanks to the dim glow of mana radiation that marks him as a genasi.

As you sit across from him, the Watchdog explains in his default monotone, “The Middleman has already informed me of what you want. At this point, I see that you will not be deterred despite any warning I might have for you. Ultimately, it is better to do this in a safe and controlled environment.”

There’s a pause, then he continues, “You may not feel like yourself anymore after this process is complete. It is entirely possible that your personality and feelings now are just a cover for the true core that is in your heart. A very deep cover, you see, that will have to be uprooted and exposed for you to know the truth you have forgotten.”

While staring into your eyes, he continues, “This will be painful; emotionally and physically. What you do when we’re done here is your own business. However, I will implant a suggestion in your mind; a suggestion that will protect me, the Middleman, and this Inn. You will not harm us, even if you come to learn that we are at fault somehow for what was done to you. This is a simple precaution. There can never be enough precautions in my line of work. Now, let’s begin.”



Watchdog leads you through some breathing exercises to help relax you. They’re reminiscent of the ones you performed under the tutelage of your hengeyokai master. Soon, you have your eyes closed, and you’re taking deep breaths. It is then, that you begin to hear a familiar tune, one that you have heard both your father and your mother hum to you at different points in your life. You now hear both of them humming in harmony.

Seconds march into the past,
The moments pass,
And just like that they're gone.

You’re in the back seat of a black SUV. The vehicle rolls along the dirt roads out in the countryside; transporting you from the Dwarven nation of Montezuma into the Human nation of Ezra. This is a convoy; a large group of SUVs traveling together for protection.

You’re roughly four to five years of age, and you don’t have many memories from when you were this young; having had them repressed. You’re in a simple set of dirty clothes, and you’re not alone. You have a few girls in the back of the SUV; older than you, and they often do what they can to help you and look out for you.

In the driver and passenger seat are two dwarves dressed in collared shirts with bow ties; an attempt at business casual for Montezuma dwarves. They’re well armed; knives, revolvers, and submachine guns on their persons. You’re tired and scared. You know these men are moving you from one location to another, and that these are ‘bad men’.

Without warning, there are explosions, gunfire, tires squealing, and men shouting. It is a dusty haze of chaos and you’re not even sure what is going on around you. The woman holding you suddenly goes limp and her body deadweights over top of you. She has a bullet squarely lodged in her forehead. Your vehicle swerves off of the road. The SUV is driven straight into a tree and the driver’s head slams on the wheel from the impact of the crash. The weight of his dead body forces the vehicle’s horn to blare out loudly in one consistent noise.

You look up and around in fear only to discover that the only person left alive in the SUV with you is the dwarf in the passenger’s seat. He seems to be regaining his wits after the crash. Soon, he notices you. Whatever cruel idea pops in his head is unknown to you, but he reaches with his large meaty fist to try and take a hold of you. You struggle and try to pull away, but he’s much stronger than you.

Just when you fear he might pull you to him completely, he suddenly lets go of you. A loud gunshot from a handgun; deafening you temporarily. Blood, brain matter, and bone splatter all over the backseat. You see a man staring at you through the passenger side window. His face is obscured by the sun shining in the sky. After lowering his handgun, he opens the door in a hurried motion and yanks the dead dwarf out onto the ground. For a moment, you’re scared, but then relief comes. You know this man, you always have. He was there when you were born, and before now, he has never identified himself, but he confirms what you always knew: “It’s okay, Aria. Daddy’s here.”

The river always finds the sea,
So helplessly,
Like you find me.

It hasn’t been long after your rescue from the dwarven cartel known as the Winged Serpents. You were rescued by your father: Leonhardt Nacht. Nacht is a strong and imposing man somewhere in his mid-twenties around this time (being closer to his forties in current day). He stands somewhere around six feet and has the frame of an athlete. Despite his short, messy brown hair, he manages to keep a professional demeanor about him most of the time. Currently, he is dressed in a business suit that is designed to give him the mobility and stretch he needs for his quick movements. He keeps two handguns hidden in shoulder holsters.

Currently, you and your father are resting in a small roadside pit stop that Genesis Security has taken over temporarily as a base of operations for this mission. While you didn’t understand it at the time, you’re coming to understand it as these memories come back to you. Your father, with an armed Genesis Security team, hit an armed dwarven cartel convoy to rescue you. And the results were rather messy.

Your father has set you up on a small chair, cleaned you up, and given you a juice box to temporarily keep you busy while he’s on the phone. He looks stressed, but every time his sharp blue eyes fall on you, his expression softens. He paces around the small rest stop area; talking to someone on his cell phone. You only get half of the conversation.

“Look, we hit our convoy. We extracted Aria. I need to know the progress on the other teams.”

“You have their mother? Good, good. What about Kara?”

“What do you mean the team isn’t responding!? Look, I only agreed to this because you said all three of them would be extracted with no issues. If any of the dwarves survived, this is going to blow back on me. They’re going to know I set them up and then they’ll kill me and my family!”

“I said I was done with this bullshit! We’ll talk about it later, but my family comes first. My team is en route to the last known location. I’m finding Kara.”


Nacht hangs up the cell phone and pockets it in his jacket. The turmoil on his face is clear; relief and yet fear all rolled into one. He makes his way over to you and kneels down next to you. He brings you in for a tight hug and for a moment, you might even feel wet tears on your shoulder. He soon pulls back and kisses the top of your head, then speaks in a reassuring tone, “Daddy is going to go find your sister. Daddy’s friend will take you to see mommy, then daddy and your sister will find you and mommy. Daddy loves you very much and he’s going to make sure that we are all a family again: now and forever.”

Nacht will pick you up under your arms and hold you close to him as he carries you out. Once outside, there are several men in business suits that seem to be handing out orders to men dressed in SWAT gear. However, among them all is a strange man. You’ve never seen a hengeyokai before, but you seem to respond well; some sort of instinct or appreciation for the monkey man. He’s dressed in simple garb and Nacht hands you over to him. The hengeyokai is surprisingly gentle, trying to make funny faces to get you to laugh.

Nacht, “Kyou, you’ll take care of her until I get back?”
Kyou, “Always, my friend.”

All of the Genesis Security members and the low ranking ROGUE Agents fall in line under the command of Leonhardt Nacht. He orders them to move out to find what happened to your sister and the caravan she was traveling in. The last you remember is the friendly monkey man who would become your master down the road taking you into a car and driving you towards the glowing city lights of Babylon.

We are paper boats floating on a stream,
And it would seem,
We'll never be apart.

Fast forward a couple of years. You’re being home tutored by a computer. Kyou works you hard on physical training. He trains you in unarmed combat, but takes the time to train you in other arts. Through these flashbacks, you’re coming to realize that Kyou was more than just a martial arts expert. He is clearly trained in the ancient arts of ninjutsu and he seems to be imparting that knowledge onto you. While you know him nowadays as a surly and mischievous asshole, Kyou in these days is friendly and genuinely seems to care for you as if you are his own flesh and blood.

You live in a small secluded mansion within the upper reaches of the nobility district in Babylon. Kyou and a few trusted staff members are always at hand and available to you. You also recall your mother being around; a beautiful woman with long flowing red hair. She has the voice of an angel and regularly sings to you. She has soft facial features and pretty blue eyes. Typically she wears gowns of gold to accent her unique features. Everyone calls her ‘lady’ or ‘ma’am’, but you only know her by one name: mom.

Like you, your mother never leaves the house. She mostly entertains herself with her singing, but she takes a lot of time out to play with you and see how you’re doing. When she isn’t with you, she reads, watches television, or pursues other mild forms of entertainment without leaving the house. These seem to be the ‘good years’ of your life, though you often have nightmares of the traumatic events you’ve experienced; including additional memories of being a young child more or less kept in a dwarven whore house (prior to your father’s rescue). And though you were too young to have anything done to you, the women you were around certainly went through some horrors and you were being groomed to take their place.

Your father comes and goes; sometimes staying for weeks while other times only staying for a few hours. He tells you it is because of ‘work’ and that his job is to protect people from ‘bad men’. He is always happy to see you and your mother, but you can tell some dark weight hangs over him and his soul in retrospect. He tries to hide it, but whatever he is doing, it is taking a toll on him. Whenever you ask about your sister, Nacht never really has an answer for you beyond ‘I’m looking for her. I’ll find her soon, and then you’ll have a big sister.’

And although you wish he was around more, you believe him. You believe that he is out there in the city of Babylon trying to do good things and stop bad people. He is out there trying to find your sister and bring her home; to reunite a broken family.
I will always find you,
Like it's written in the stars,
You can run, but you can't hide,
Try.

At some point, it becomes taboo to bring up your sister. It seems to frustrate and anger Nacht more than anything else. Perhaps it is because he has lost hope finding her; perhaps it is because he thinks her dead. Whatever the reason, Nacht no longer talks about your sister Kara anymore. Additionally, the toll and stress of work has begun to grow and grow. Then, it all comes to a head one day…

In a rare treat, your father has taken you outside of the manor and to a small ice cream shop. He seems to be in a good mood; a miracle given the growing cloud that hangs over him and frustrates him to no end. The shop is rather empty aside from the two of you; the shopkeep having gone into a back room. You’re sitting at a small table with him enjoying an ice cream cone when a woman walks in. You yourself are around the age of ten at this point with Nacht being somewhere in his thirties.

The woman has teal hair which she currently keeps up in a professional bun. She is very young, probably just entering her twenties (if not closer to eighteen). She is human, though her green eyes are constantly cold and calculating. She is dressed in a woman’s business suit; dark gray top and dark skirt with matching heels. You’ve seen the pin that she wears on her lapel; a sword to signify a ROGUE agent. The pin also includes her rank: first class.

Much to the dismay of your father (who clearly wasn’t expecting her), she approaches your little table and seems to have no qualms forcing a business discussion. Even with you right there, and even on what is supposed to be a friendly outing.

Gwen, “Leonhardt Nacht.”
Nacht, “Do I know you?”
Gwen, “Gwen Morrisson. I’m taking over as your handler.”
Nacht, “What happened t-“
Gwen, “Untimely demise. I have the official orders from corporate if you would like to see them.”

Gwen pulls out some documents from the inside of her jacket and hands it over to Nacht. He takes a moment to read them and ultimately furrows his brows in displeasure.

Nacht, “I was getting out of this work. You should know my history with the Winged Serpents; my handler was in the process of extracting me from it completely.”
Gwen, “Well, I’m getting you back into it fully. You’re our only contact that can go deep within their organization and accomplish what we need.”
Nacht, “Are you kidding me? There are hundreds of other capable people. Pick one and start over.”
Gwen, “No. We need results now and you’re our man to play.”
Nacht, “What if I say I quit? What if I say no to this?”
Gwen, “What if I say you can’t? What if I said I had leverage?”

Nacht’s face twists into a dark stare while Gwen merely smiles. She takes the time to look down at you, though her smile soon fades. You remind her of the sister that she disowned and that puts her in a sour mood.

Gwen, “Go home, Mr. Nacht. Think about it. I’ll have your first mission ready later in the week. If you decline it, well, we’ll both have to do what we have to do, won’t we?”

Like the moon that makes the tides,
That silent guide,
Is calling from inside.

In all the times you’ve seen your parents together, they’ve never once argued. They both truly enjoy each other’s company and seem to care for one another deeply. However, you can tell tensions are high, and you use a cracked door to peer into their bedroom. Your mother and father seem to be in a heated argument.

Nacht, “I can’t go back to that life, Hannah! I can’t!”
Hannah, “She threatened you, Nacht! She threatened you and your family right in front of Aria!”
Nacht, “I’ll kill Gwen. I’ll kill her and I’ll kill anyone who threatens us.”
Hannah, “You can’t *kill* Genesis! They’re too big; one will just replace her. What happened to your old handler? The one who helped us in the first place?”
Nacht, “Dead. My guess is killed in a power play.”

There is some awkward silence between the two. Then, your father starts the conversation again.

Nacht, “I can’t do it. I can’t kidnap people again. I can’t give them to the dwarves. I can’t give them to Genesis. I’ve changed, you know that, right? I had to do right by you and by Aria. I know I failed with Kara, but, I’m not the same person I used to be. What you had to live through when the dwarves owned you, I damned so many people to that same fate. I’ve ruined so many lives. I can’t ruin more.”
Hannah, “You’ve already done so much for us. I can’t ask you to do more, but we need a plan.”
Nacht, “I’ll find one; I swear I will.”

It is then that the gentle hands of Kyou picks you up from behind and bounces you quietly in his arms. He whispers, “Let’s go back to bed, Aria. This is just another nightmare, but you know what we talked about? Nightmares aren’t real. Nightmares can’t hurt you.”
And pull me here and push me there,
It's everywhere,
Hanging in the air.

Outside of the manor in the driveway, you’re loading up a few of your personal possessions into an armored SUV. You end up sitting in the back seat while your mother takes the passenger’s seat. Outside of the vehicle, your father and Kyou are conversing quietly, though you can hear them.

Kyou, “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”
Nacht, “I already lost one child. I don’t want to lose the rest of my family. You don’t have to be a part of this; I’ve already asked too much of you.”
Kyou, “I owe you my life. I will always help you. Back in the day, when you could’ve killed me, and had every right to, you spared me. I’ll never forget that. You’re a brother to me now.”
Nacht, “Thank you, Kyou.”

The two friends share a moment to themselves, Kyou squeezing Nacht’s shoulder and Nacht half-smiling. Kyou ends up getting on a motorcycle while Nacht takes the driver’s seat in the SUV. You ask him one more time where you’re going, why you’re going there, and all the other innocent questions a child of ten thinks of.

Nacht, “We already talked about this, right, Aria? There are some bad men that want to hurt us. Daddy isn’t going to let them hurt you or mommy. We’re leaving here and going to somewhere safe. Somewhere out in the country where you can play in grass, where you can have your own pet, and where we can all be happy.”

He seems so convinced of this dream despite the impossibility of it. After a reassuring look from your parents, Nacht starts pulling the SUV out of the driveway and onto the streets of Bayblon. You’re on the streets for roughly a half hour and soon, when you think you’ll finally escape this dying city, you’re attacked on the road. Your SUV is hit from the side and you spin out of control before you know what is happening.

Before Kyou can hop off his bike to help you, he’s already been shot with a stun gun and taken to the ground where several armed security begin to pin him down and handcuff him. He resists, nearly breaking free, and certainly breaking a limb or two of the security try to keep him down, but sheer numbers and the element of surprise overwhelm him.

Your father is still groggy from the airbag deploying. You yourself are in some pain from the crash and so is your mother. Luckily, you’re all alive, and perhaps aside from a concussion, you’re all not gravely injured. However, before you know it, your mother is screaming, you’re screaming, and Nacht is yelling as Genesis Security teams pull you from the wreckage. You and your mother are quickly restrained while Nacht, even after being involved in a wreck, is trying to fight back; reaching for a handgun.

It isn’t much of a fight though as he is disarmed and restrained. Gwen Morrisson walks out from one of the nearby Genesis security vehicles. She smiles at Nacht before looking to you and your mother, and then she makes the bold statement of: “I own you now, Nacht. It’s time for us to get to work…”

We are magnets pulling from different poles,
With no control,
We'll never be apart.

The next thing you remember is waking up in a Genesis Security Facility. In the background, you more or less hear a ‘deal’ taking place. That fear from your childhood returns. A cold woman wearing all green and who possess a metal prosthetic claw instead of a hand seems to be bandaging you and taking care of your wounds. She looks young; roughly the same age as Gwen. She has green eyes and long brown hair. In reference to the deal, you hear Gwen and Nacht talking, but can’t see them initially since you’re still groggy from the crash and the attendance Dr. Klein is giving you.

Nacht, “I’ll kill you for this!”
Gwen, “Don’t be so dramatic. You’re a career man. You’ve always been one. You work for me. You provide for your family. You do what I want and I’ll let your family go someday; no strings attached. I wouldn’t be making you do this if there was another way, but time is very short, and things need to progress now. So, here’s the deal…”

You lift your head up enough to see your father handcuffed to a metal bench. Near him, strapped down on a table is your mother. Gwen is sort of hovering over your mother along with another woman. You didn’t know who she was then, but now you certainly recognize her. The infamous freediver known as Athena. Dr. Klein eases you back down into a laying position on the medical table. You want to get up and help your parents, but you’re too weak from the crash and not entirely coherent.
 
Gwen, “Athena here is going to play around in Hannah’s mind. She will give her a new set of memories and an entirely new life. I will keep her out in the open so that you know she is being treated well and that she is happy. However, you should not get the idea to try any funny business like, oh, I don’t know…contacting her or rescuing her.”

Gwen, “You see, I will have one of my best teams guarding her at all times. Athena is also instilling a killswitch in Hannah; a killswitch I have control of. Hannah is my hostage. You will perform the missions I give you. Once I am satisfied and the goal I need to reach is achieved, I will relinquish her. You will be free to take her and your daughter and go wherever you please. I will absolve you of any further obligations. You will never have to see me again. That is more than fair, yes?”

Nacht seethes silently; having nothing left to say to Gwen. He is already plotting his revenge; plotting the death of Gwen Morrisson. However, the determined look in his eyes translates as a sign of his cooperation with Gwen for the time being. Though his pride makes him not want to speak, he asks, “What about Aria?”

Gwen, “Well, I think she has a very important role to play. And after she plays it, she won’t remember any of it. She can go back to your little home. You can play house with her anytime you’re not working for me. I don’t need two hostages. Hannah is more than enough.”

Nacht’s seething intensifies upon hearing that Gwen has something in mind for you. His rage gets the better of him and he attempts to stand up despite the handcuffs keeping him tied to the bench. His raging scream soon becomes one of pain as he falls back onto the bench and begins convulsing.

Athena taps the side of her head then, and mutters, “I… I thought it prudent… prudent to… put a stop to that outburst.” Gwen smiles and then orders Athena to get started. And though you can’t see what is going on between the freediver and your mother, you can hear the weakened protests of your father and the screams from your mother as a result of the memory dive.

You fade out of consciousness with the screams of your parents echoing in your minds.

I will always find you,
Like it's written in the stars,
You can run, but you can't hide,
Try.

You don’t remember the pain, but the same memory dive that happened to your mother? Yeah, that happened to you too. Athena took you aside after Klein made sure you were in good condition. You were only a young girl of ten, but you had the foundation given to you by Kyou and the genetics of your father. You were easily molded into a true assassin. Athena began implanting you with advanced combat knowledge. Thousands of hours of detailed tactical information was uploaded into your memories and soon the muscle memory in your body began using that tactical information as if you had learned it yourself over a lifetime.

From there, you became more or less a puppet over the next few years. During the day, you could be your father’s daughter; relaxing in the manor and oblivious to your double life. At night, you became a cold and calculated machine. Neither side of you was aware of the other. Athena’s cruelness forced her to instill a latent desire in your psyche to enjoy the bloodshed and death you caused.

Gwen began using you as an assassin against her own co-workers within the Genesis Corporation. Although Leonhardt Nacht was a well known deniable asset within the company, you were a complete stranger. Gwen could use you to target her political opponents and assist with her rise in the corporation. Killing this CEO resulted in her receiving more funding. Killing that one increased her leverage in the infrastructure of Genesis. People who disagreed with Gwen quickly became targets on her climb up the corporate ladder. During this time, Gwen also used you to hunt down anyone who had close connections to Nacht; hoping to eliminate all of his resources. You killed distant relatives and family friends during this time.

Gwen managed to keep her involvement in the assassinations a secret. You quickly became a priority target for Genesis. You would soon become too risky to use; your element of surprise gone and other people within the corporation stepping up their security. The lax security days were now gone as many Genesis personnel requested personal KNIGHT escorts at all times of day. If you were killed and your body was recovered, then someone could extract your memories and find out Gwen’s involvement. Despite having Athena, Klein, Nacht, and Baer in her pocket at this time, Gwen could not risk her plans being found out by the Cabal or by the Campbell family.

Your last mission as a puppet for Gwen involved an assault against Genesis Headquarters. This is the memory that had started coming back to you during the fight with Athena. You managed to infiltrate the prestigious Sector Zero. Your target was the Campbell family; the ruling family of Genesis. Father. Mother. Son. All of them had to die. You managed to get through the defenses and all the way up to the top of the tower.

The assassination attempt went awry. Athena had decided then to betray Gwen Morrison and throw her under the bus. Athena and her Olympians defected to EARTHQUAKE while Genesis Security had been tipped off to your presence. Athena found Gwen to be a more dangerous opponent; so Athena wanted to take her down. The Campbell family could wait for Athena.

You were captured and interrogations were to begin. Panicking over the situation, Gwen Morrisson enlisted Leonhardt Nacht’s assistance. Under the orders of Gwen, Nacht would be forced to betray Genesis.

I will always, always find you,
I will always,
I will always, always find you,
I will always.

You’re in your assassin state of mind; trapped in an isolation cell. The interrogators are preparing to try every technique they know to get you to talk and to force themselves into your memories and mind to dig the answers out as well. Suddenly, you hear two handguns being fired outside of your holding cell. Moments later, your cell door opens.

Leonhardt Nacht is standing there with a handgun in each hand. Behind them, there are the corpses of dozens of scientists, guards, and low ranking members of MAGE, KNIGHT, and ROGUE. All of them were killed with a headshot. He doesn’t look to have come out unscathed from the event; his face dripping with blood. These wounds would eventually turn into the facial scars that Nacht is identified by later in his life.

You don’t recognize him in your assassin state of mind. The alarms are blaring in the background. For a moment, he tries to coax you out of your mindset. He’s affectionate, refers to you as his daughter, and even cries out of frustration when he sees what the diving has done to you. Nacht puts his handguns away and when he frees you, you go as far as to try and flee from him; flee in hopes of completing the mission burned in your mind: kill the Campbell family.

You’re so resistive and combative, Nacht is forced to grab you by the wrist and punch you in the stomach to knock the wind out of you and get you under control. He then hefts you over his shoulder and begins to carry you out; withdrawing a handgun with his free hand and using it to kill anyone who gets in his way. Through Gwen’s aid, Nacht is able to extract you and escape Genesis HQ alive. However, in the process, he is named an enemy of the state, and becomes Public Enemy #1 for the nation of Ezra.
I will always find you,
Like it's written in the stars,
We can run, but we can't hide,
Try.

In the news, EARTHQUAKE begins to pick up their momentum with the added forces of The Olympians behind them. Nacht and his mysterious girl (you) are in the news. Gwen is able to avoid being tied to Nacht and the girl; able to claim that she had no involvement and no idea about the situation—going as far as to say that Nacht was a double agent with his own motivations and machinations. Other ROGUE agents begin to watch Gwen carefully which forces many of her plans and plots to be put onto standby.

Before that, Gwen is able to rescind the assassination command from you; allowing you to drift back into your default state. While Gwen is kept in check, Nacht decides to use his newfound infamy as a tool against Gwen. With the help of Kyou, he is able to infiltrate a substation of Genesis. There, he is able to acquire all the information from his years of service of Genesis. All the kidnappings, all the murders and all the other black mail that could bring down Genesis’ credibility in the eyes of the public. It is during this event, that Kimberley Meyer is taken hostage by Nacht. Meyer is killed by a sniper round from Roan; a round meant for Nacht.

With blackmail in his hands, Gwen and Genesis is unable to act against Nacht. Nacht is unable to act against Gwen and Genesis, though, due to Gwen having your mother hostage. However, Nacht begins to leverage his dwarven cartel connections to begin plotting how to rescue your mother and removing the element of blackmail from the equation; removing the element that stands in his way of killing Gwen.
I will always find you,
Like it's written in the stars,
We can run, but we can't hide,
Try.

You have no memories of your assassinations and of your life prior to being rescued by Nacht at Genesis HQ. You see, once Nacht became a ‘free agent’, he completed a trio of missions for the Middleman and the Watchdog. These missions allowed him to receive sensitive intelligence. His questions allowed him to find out what happened to your sister (Kara/Kembu), how he could keep you from remembering what had happened to you so that you could be a normal girl again, and to bring down Gwen.

As part of his work for the Middleman, Nacht convinced the Watchdog to block out the majority of your memories and instead overlapped them with the idea that your father was a respectable businessman that often went on trips. This created the illusion of what you thought your life to be prior to the events that happened after finding Kembu. This forced the memories that Kyou was a cruel taskmaster while in reality he was an affectionate ‘uncle’ to you.

So, there you have it. The story of how a broken man tried to keep his family safe. Somewhere out in the city, Nacht is planning his final moves against Gwen to rescue your mother and reunite your family. Gwen is planning her hostile takeover of the Genesis Corporation and likely the elimination of those who still stand in the way of her efforts.

You’ve learned the truth. Like Kembu, you were born to a prostitute kept enslaved by the dwarven cartel. Your father was one of the men helping the cartels under the orders of Genesis. He fell in love with your mother and had two children with her. Genesis prevented him from rescuing you, Kara, and your mother until he had struck a deal. Then, the rescue attempt went poorly. You and your mother were rescued, but Kara was not. Kara went on to assume the identity of Kembu and be taught hengeyokai swordsmanship. You had a normal childhood, but was soon brainwashed to be an assassin when your family was torn apart by the machinations of Gwen Morrisson.

And now you’re drawn back into present day, now equipped with these memories and the new feelings that arise from them, the last words of the song echo in your head.

I will always, always find you,
I will always…