[hider=The Past][b]Parentage[/b] [hider]Redana Honorius Claudius, Princess of Tellus, Heir Apparent to the Throne of Ecumenopolis, is a demigod, both legally and in the eyes of Heaven. Her mother is Empress Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Tellurian, savior of Humanity in the wake of the fall of Molech, that vast and terrible edifice of hubris struck down by the gods for its blasphemy. By her iron will has Humanity been saved from dissolution; by definition, Humanity in the sense of shared culture and history only legally exists within the confines of the Emergency Declaration, which weighs upon humanity at 9.8 meters per second squared. It must be understood that while the Empress is a tyrant, she is in intent a benevolent one. She witnessed the drowning of the Atlas Cultural Sphere beneath the black and crushing waves, and saw the gold-wreathed altars to Hades Plutonian cleaved in two by his wrath. She is the last righteous hero of a fallen age, a witness of apocalypse, disgusted by the excesses of the boards of grasping, insatiable Molech. All that she has done, she has done in the name of Humanity, that it not be scattered and ultimately dissolved in the twilight of the wine-black sea. If she has a flaw, it is that her love is as smothering and irresistible as the waves that drowned dishonored Atlas, and she is convinced that those she loves must have her protection and cannot be trusted to make decisions for themselves. If she has two, it is that she believes she can sing. For the genetic donor for her child, who she decided she must have in case she was ever incapacitated or otherwise unable to rule, she chose the victor of the Olympic Games in an auspicious year. The victor, whose identity has been sealed by Imperial Edict, relinquished all claim to parentage and offered the glory to Zeus Olympios, Bringer of Victory, who appeared in person to adopt the yet unmade child. So it is that in all ways, by the laws of Ecumenopolis and the will of heaven, that Redana is considered the child of Zeus Olympios. Indeed, when the princess was decanted from the loom, she was held by the shining arms of the goddess and given the blessing of heaven. And in her childhood, she always loved stormy days, for those were the days that might herald a visit from her father. Yet, as she grew, those visits grew less frequent, for the simple reason that she had, by simple virtue of adoption, aroused the ire of Gazelle-Eyed Hera, She of the Peacock. It is rumored that Hera has sworn to see the princess brought low, a servant of servants, humiliated and base; it is similarly rumored that the reason the princess was locked away in her palace was from fear of Hera’s retribution, her servants and her cult. Regardless, on the princess’s sixteenth birthday, Zeus Olympios appeared before her and offered her further blessing, and Redana asked simply for a taste of freedom. Zeus does not bless by half measures.[/hider] [b]Education[/b] [hider]Specialization is for insects. For this reason, Nero declared that her daughter would master every aspect of good governance: diplomatic courtesy, martial prowess, wise stewardship, political cunning, and a full understanding of the culture and history of Humanity. After all, she had suffered much to learn all she had, and her daughter (free of trouble and strife) would be able to learn so much more! In practice, trying to convey centuries of experience crammed into a decade and a half of lessons and expecting her daughter to absorb them all may have been hubris on Nero’s part. If Redana had been a born scholar from birth, it’s possible she might have been able to succeed, but Redana was born an athlete and a kind soul, not the kind of genius Nero expected. Ignoring that she herself was a warrior and wanderer before she became Empress of Tellus, Nero doubled down on endless lessons and workbooks and quizzes provided by an endless array of tutors, which put more and more pressure on the princess, who absorbed less and less. It is doubtless this that provoked her to sneak out with her beloved pet servitor, Bella, to see the great and terrible city of Ecumenopolis for herself. What she saw there shocked and disgusted her. This, then, was the empire she was being raised to maintain? This was all the good Humanity could expect from their ruler? This was her birthright and her responsibility? From that night, the desire to escape, to defy the Astella Monotellus, was born inside her. The risks were high; the price, higher. She was forced to leave Bella behind after a furious fight, her pet hoping to keep her safe by not allowing her to leave. Her escape was on a pitifully small sloop, barely capable of enduring the vastness of Poseidon’s domain. Yet the god of the deeps chose to take pity on her, perhaps due to the intervention of Zeus, perhaps due to the princess’s delight and zeal in carrying out her ship’s duties alone, and guided her to safer harbors.[/hider] [b]The Princess[/b] [hider]Some time has passed since the Princess escaped. Not much, but some. Instead of an Imperial uniform, she wears spacer’s gear: a jacket to keep out the cold, figure-hugging clothes that won’t catch or tear, a bandana to keep her hair from getting dirty, boots that won’t slip when Poseidon roars his fury and gloves that won’t let her get rope burns. An [i]Iokheira[/i], a duelist’s blade, is sheathed at her thigh, and though she’s been professionally trained in its use, she prefers not to have to use it. She has her mother’s eyes. One green and warm, the other cold and blue, with an imperial insignia for an iris. Her mother insisted she be fitted with an [i]Ianuspater[/i] auspex, despite her struggle to integrate its feedback on any complex level. Her skin is flawless, due entirely to the Zeus-blessed st/YX nanite swarm constantly at work inside her. She refuses to cut her golden hair, the color of Zeus’s own, and instead pulls it back in a ponytail or a bun. She’s only of average height, and built like a swimmer: all sleek, lean muscle and legs strong enough to crack open a watermelon. Despite this, she has the kind of [i]presence[/i] that fills the room when she enters, and the sort of charisma that makes her exploits seem easy, much like her Olympian father. And much like her Olympian father, this means that people expect her to know what she’s doing, even when she very much doesn’t. She seeks proof that it is time for Humanity to travel the stars once more. If she goes back now, she will have to yield to her fate or else fight and likely kill her mother, and she can countenance neither. Hades alone can provide her with something that can change her stubborn mother’s heart, or so he claims.[/hider] REDANA, THE EXILE Marked by Zeus Olympios and Poseidon Polychromatikí. LOOK Mismatched eyes Olympic body Spacer’s uniform Unblemished skin AGENDAS Learn the Truth (discover the world outside your sheltered past) Human Superiority (it is your duty to protect lesser creatures) Seeking Freedom (evade the Hunt) STATS Blood +2 Courage 0 Grace +1 Sense -1 Wisdom +2 In short, she’s very athletic and charismatic, but prone to getting in over her head fast. MOVES A Lesson Learned (when you forgive someone who harmed you, and let them know, both heal and you Forge a Bond) Forbidden Element: Metal (Blessing of Nemea) Elder Arts (Ianuspater Auspex) Poetry in Motion (always pick +1 option on Get Away) Chasing Smoke (you can always try to Get Away) Survivor (when you hit an Overcome, heal or Get Away with a 7-9) Savior (take damage instead of another) Redana bears the blessings of Zeus. The Nemean Blessing allows her to channel power through herself, hardening her skin and growing into an Amazonian figure of glorious battle. The Blessing of Freedom makes her capable of escaping any peril, should she choose to do so. And, from birth, the blessed st/YX nanites have worked to make her nigh-invulnerable; given time enough to heal a wound, they will close it over without leaving even a scar. GEAR Spacer’s Rations (Food, 3-Use) Iokheira Dueling Rapier (Melee) Spacer’s Uniform (Useful, 2-Use) Mag Harness (walk on any metal surface) Abyssal Star Chart (Map) [s]Ianuspater Auspex[/s] The Eye of Hermes (Look Closely, 2-Use) [s]Paragon Nanite Capsules[/s] The Shepherdess’s Touch (Healing, Slow, 2-Use) Fistful of Obols, beloved by the Gods (Precious, 2-Use) Portable Smelter (2-Use, Repair, Slow) [s]Command Seal (1-Use, COME TO ME)[/s] The first four are reasonably common, even the mag harness, which is useful for ship repairs. The latter four? Those are rarer gifts: a map from the lord of the deeps, the wonderful eye her mother implanted in her, the height of Ecumenopolis’s medical technology, and offerings highly coveted by the Olympians and those who worship them. The final two are the two sides of her relationship with the warrior construct, Alexa: the portable smelter for filling her cracks and chips with molten bronze, and the Command Seal integrated with the back of her hand by which she may give Alexa orders. BONDS [list][*]I grew up with Bella. [*]I promised to keep Bella safe. [*]I feel responsible for Alexa. [*]When I was on the run, Dolce fed me.[/list] DAMAGE AND SPENDS — Refreshed as of arrival in the Azure Skies [s]GRACE[/s] - torn away by Thist’s stroke [s]BLOOD[/s] - sacrificed for Bella SENSE - drowned under Hermes’ sorrow COURAGE - wounded by Bella Both Uses of Healing — the work of the Shepherdess’s Wand One Use of Spacer’s Outfit - in the toxic engine room[/Hider] EMBER, DAUGHTER OF CERON, THE KNIGHT Initiate of the Silver Divers Clan Favored by Zeus Limenodkopos and Poseidon Asphalios LOOK One eye sapphire, one eye emerald Olympic body Waterproof silks and fish-scale armor Shining golden hair AGENDA But What Of Ceron? (Act on behalf of Ceronian wealth and honor, first and foremost) Territorial (Aggressively defend your friends) STATS Blood +3 Courage 0 Grace +1 Sense -1 Wisdom +2 MOVES # Stalwart Defenders (never pay a price to Overcome Threats to the World, roll with Hope when Overcoming on behalf of someone she has 3 Bonds with) # Ceronian Treatment (when she introduces herself to a ruler, they must— even begrudgingly— offer a room for the night and a hot meal, and their subjects become valid targets for the following move) # Yes, My Lady (when she issues a command to someone below her rank, they’ll do it immediately without any need to [i]Talk Sense[/i], until such time as a command causes them direct harm) # Strike True! (when she has an Advantage over someone, she can choose to stop them from causing further harm in the scene, stop them from giving chase, or remove a damaged stat entirely, no [i]Finish Them[/i] roll necessary) # Foreign Exchange [Survivor] (when she Overcomes harm directed at herself, she can heal or mixed beat Get Away) # How Dare You?! (when insulted to her face, she can try to [i]Finish Them[/i] with Blood or Grace, or ask two questions from [i]Look Closely[/i] instead) GEAR [i]Chalcedony[/i] (Melee, Precious) [i]Little Fang[/i] (Melee) Scout Training (Armor 1) Ceronian Spoils (Food 3) Medpack (Healing/Slow 2) The Jewels of the Seven-Colored Rainqueen (Precious 2) A Strange Eye A Secret BONDS Mosiac is… wow. Have you seen her? She’s just. Mmmph. Mosiac and I both emerged from the sea together. Mosiac’s sisters are under my protection, even if she swears she can do it herself. Dolce is a sweetheart who deserves my protection. Gemini and Taurus sponsored me in joining the Silver Divers, and I can’t disappoint them! Plundering Fang never lets an opportunity to humiliate me slide. I tamed the wild surf-steed Belle; she’s feisty, but I managed to rein her in. DAMAGE AND SPENDS Sense - damaged by ELF fire LEVELS Level 2- +1 Blood Level 3- How Dare You?!