[@ReveTheDreamer] That's fair enough. The character I'm designing is kind of like a mother figure, but the kind of mother you don't want to piss off unless you want an ass-whoopin'. I'm thinking she acts as a sort of mentor to new people, helping them cope with their disease and slow its progression by adhering to a lot of exclusively human mannerisms (discipline, schedules, communication, keeping emotions in check, etc.). No one would be compelled to listen to her, but I envision her as the type of person worth listening to, if that makes sense. She has a group of people who associate with her because they value her leadership of their own accord, but there are lots of people in Deadware who don't. She wants to help people, and doesn't want anyone causing any more chaos than there already is. Of course, if you still don't like it, that's fine. 

I was thinking she'd been there about five years, could bring it down to four though. She's been able to slow her progression through methods like the ones above, clinging to humanity and doing her best not to succumb to more basic impulses. I'm looking for someone pretty significantly progressed who hasn't lost their human rationality yet, but is beginning to grapple with the occasional lapse.