[anime appearance] NAME Age | Gender | Height | Weight Nation | Major | Specialization
Their Story As little and as much as you need to explain the general bits and pieces that made who your character is, how they became recognized as one of the world’s best and brightest, and why they’ve decided to fall in with shady organizations and become a spy. Organization: Only the name, please. Current Mission: I'll fill this out in a PM. Secret: I'll fill this out in a PM.
Solomon Antedivula
17 y/o | Male | 5'10 | 142 lbs The Nation of the Rose King, France | Egoism | Prehensile Blood
Solomon was just a poor boy living in a first-generation immigrant's family on the countryside of France. As a child, he worked tirelessly on the sunny hills of the Rose King's domain. Sadly, he was bullied in school for not being into baguettes. One day while he was being bullied, a wandering Mongolian horseback archer came by and took a shine to the kid for a plot-based reason. They taught him the fundamentals of Egoism, exchanged telephone numbers with the lad, and over the course of many years, Solomon telecommuted his Polymath training, having the grit and determination to essentially self-study a wide field of works while also engaging in lots of self-reflection.
And then, on his twelfth birthday, he decided that he could do it. With a scalpel, a mirror, and a towel, he carved his first set of Formula upon his back during the early hours of the morning, and was irrevocably changed. Word spread quick of the Self-Made Polymath of Ardennes, and Solomon vibed with that, even though he wasn't really sure what he should do with this outside of training more.
But when that same Mongolian mounted archer called him again and offered him a job, Solomon knew.
Debts were to be paid, and kindness could not be left unrewarded.
Some years later, he secured his position in Bermuda, as an agent of Khan Academy, a "non-profit organization meant to make education available for all." Organization: Khan Academy Mission: Befriend the Student Council President, PC 1. Secret: Solomon is actually a double agent. His true allegiance lies with the Greatest Bond, a crime syndicate operating in Germany, who has gained his loyalty by teaching him of the wonders of steamed bread.
13 y/o | Female | 142cm (4'8") | 35kg (77lbs) The Iron Sentinel Empire, Germany | Technologism | Ferromancy
Lucretia Close-up
Schwarzritter Close-up
Born to House Konigsmahne, one of Germany's most prominent noble families, Lucretia was the youngest of five siblings. It was clear even from the first few years of her life that the white-haired girl was gifted, one of the very few individuals blessed with exceptional intellect, a savant, a genius among geniuses. Not only that, her family had the connections and resources to foster Lucy's talents as soon as possible. The young girl was taught with the best private tutors money could buy and combined with her extraordinary intelligence, it catapulted her development in the academics. Naturally, aside from general knowledge, her studies were focused on learning Technologism, the House's primary major in the art of Formulization. For Lucretia in particular, she had a particularly strong affinity with the element of ferrum, iron.
Of course, all of these boons didn't come without a price. As it was common with savants, Lucretia had developmental disorders in the social aspect of things, she didn't get along well with her peers, not that she was a bully or anything, but other children were often put off by how quiet and insensitive she was. She preferred to wrap herself in her own bubble, intensely focusing on her current project, often days on end, stopping only to eat, sleep, and do hygiene stuff. She couldn't read the atmosphere and often came off as brutally honest, speaking pragmatically without heeding the emotions of others. Still, she wasn't an actively malicious person, but humans are social creatures and being able to relate with others is just as - if not more - important as academic prowess. Over the years, she got better... somewhat, through experience and trial and error, she had developed certain 'social protocols' in her head to compensate where she lacked. Regardless, she still preferred to deal with machines instead of people whenever possible.
As mentioned before, the noble house she belonged to was quite prestigious, their ancestors were engineers and inventors, Technologist Polymaths, one of the forefront actors that brought about the Scientific Revolution of the Occident. The name "Konigsmahne" could be found in documents detailing the discovery of the steam core, peizogravitas, dreadnought designs, mechanized weapons (panzermensch), and other technological marvels. They too were one of the parties that supported the Enlightenment edict that led to the short-lived Age of Exploration...
Then the Futile War came, and it marked the end of House Konigsmahne's golden age. In a loyalty-fueled attempt to support the Occident's war efforts, the house poured massive amount of resources to fight back against the 'savages'. How could they resist Enlightenment in favor of their primitive beliefs? Preposterous, unthinkable, Technologism is the way to the future, not some voodoo nonsense. Alas, in the end, nothing was gained as the war ended in a stalemate, but for the house, it might as well be a crushing defeat. While their finances had recovered over the decades after the war, the stain on their pride was still fresh to this day.
Since then, the house never stopped searching for a way to finish what the Occident started, prove to the world that Technologism is the only true path to Enlightenment. To that end, they made alliances with parties that shared their views, one of them being Pax Occidenta, an enigmatic group that operated in the shadows, claiming to be the heralds that'd manifest the destiny of the Occident. The deal was to hand over one of the house's brightest to them, to be their scion, so that with their combined might, they'd bring about Manifest Destiny. This chosen scion was none other than Lucretia.
Her first mission? Enroll into the Academic City of Bermuda and await further instructions...
Lucretia's Specialization within the Formulization Major of Technologism. While she's able to manipulate the properties of most solid matter like all technologists, she's particularly adept at the element of iron and combined with her gifted intellect, this truly led to extraordinary craftsmanship, especially for someone so young. She had constructed numerous devices over the decade, but none surpassed her masterpiece, Schwarzritter.
Schwarzritter takes the form of a curious T-shaped remote-controlled floating drone that's capable of a number of things. It can be used as a personal transport, portable storage, mobile cover, and weapons platform. Its strength and endurance are the equivalent of an iron golem, its central body had slots to store items in, and its two 'arms' contain an automatic assault turret each. It's installed with a Peizogravitas formula to enable buoyancy using electricity gathered from the global electric wireless structure a.k.a the Telesma Network. In the absence of access to said network, it possesses a backup Steam Core generator, enabling it to function at a reduced performance.
When not in use, it can fold itself into an inert backpack-shaped object, surprisingly lightweight, making it convenient to carry around.
Furthermore, although it’s definitely not a living creature, Lucretia considers the drone to be her closest friend, she often talks and refers to it as if it has a mind of its own, like a young girl playing with her doll... except that it's made of metal, and many times her size, and capable of deadly force.
15 y/o | Female | 160cm/5'2 | 92kg/203lbs The Empire of Blazing Sun, Japan | Egoism | Pyrokinetic Chimera
Design Details & Expression Showcase
In Action
Teeth = Real Sharp
Tattoo Design
Higashiakemi Ryuuko was a child of the influential Higashiakemi family of Sendai, Japan. The family, whom members were almost all Polymaths, was also renowned for being ardent traditionalists. It was hence unsurprising that most of the Polymaths within the family were Egoists proud of their Oriental heritage regardless of how niche Egoism can be seen as compared to Technologism.
Ryuuko herself was an extremely talented person when it came to being an Egoist. From a very young age she dedicated herself to the craft, showing great potentials that would have done her family proud. That is to say, if only she didn't wholeheartedly despised her own family. The truth of the matter was that despite her love of the Egoism craft, she hated most of the traditions of the family and by extension of the country. While not as bad as how it were in the past, women were still seen as somewhat of lesser social status than men in the Empire of Blazing Sun. Add to that the strongly enforced culture of seniority and compliance, and it became just way too much for the progressive minded Ryuuko.
To that end, everything that Ryuuko did tended to go exactly the opposite of what her family would approve of. She deliberately dressed herself in fashions that her family found distasteful, deliberately learned languages that her family deemed pointless to learn, and even deliberately ate foods that her family seen as affronts to the Japanese cuisine. Of course, she didn't stop with only such petty little things. As the biggest deliberate offense, Ryuuko geared her entire Egoist craft toward transformations that her family saw as absolute horror and disgrace. With her script carved on to her stomach instead of her back(because of course she'll never went with the traditionalist way), Ryuuko used all of her talent to turn herself slowly but surely into a being best called as a draconic Chimera. This, she achieved at the tender age of 12 years old. As expected her family were absolutely flabbergasted and revolted at what she had became, to the point of threatening to disown her for her "transgression".
Unfortunately for them, Ryuuko's talents didn't end with only her incredible skills in the Egoism craft. She also possessed a significant degree of intelligence, enough to plan her moves far in advance. Thus, to rub salt into the family's wound, Ryuuko had already arranged for herself to be a member of the Kaiser Institute; an organization of highly talented and progressive Polymaths based in Germany. Before her family can even officially disown her, Ryuuko was instead the one who left her family behind. Furthermore, as her last parting "gift" to the family she kept the family name just because she knew that it will bring even more shame to them.
Years had passed since then. In a new chapter of her life, Ryuuko had secured an enrollment into the Academic City of Bermuda as an agent of the Kaiser Institute. On the surface, the Institute was seemingly just one of the countless institutes of Polymaths focused on furthering their respective crafts. In truth, the Institute was one of the secret society with the mission of ensuring the Occident's supremacy in the war that never truly ended. And for Ryuuko, she could not have found a better way than this to smear even more dirt to the face of all those traditionalists back home.
Ryuuko's transformation had turned her into a draconic chimera. The following is a list of the abilities she possessed due to her transformations: - Horns: She possessed a pair of horns on the side of her head above the ears. As tough as a rhino's horn, these are capable of both protecting her and also as weapons due to their toughness. - Night Vision: Modifications to her eyes enabled her to see in the dark clearly. As with all forms of natural night vision capability, light must still be present. Thus, this ability cannot function in complete darkness. Additionally as a tradeoff of the transformation, she suffered from myopia which necessitated her to wear prescription eyeglasses. - Fangs: Her teeth are razor sharp like a shark's. Also like sharks, she had the capability to replace lost teeth seemingly infinitely. It will take her around a single day to fully regenerate her teeth regardless of the number that needs to be replaced. - Armored Carapaces: Hard carapaces covered Ryuuko's hands and her legs below the knees, functioning like durable armor strong enough to deflect bullets from low caliber firearms. Additionally, these also provided her with sharp claws that can be used for offense. - Tails: She possessed a pair of tails on the back of her waist. These are not prehensile. Instead, she can use them for additional balance, and if necessary she can also use them as powerful whips. - Enhanced Physical Capabilities: Ryuuko possessed noticeably higher physical capabilities than the typical human, clocking at around twice that of peak human capabilities. - Fire Breath: Perhaps the most defining of Ryuuko's abilities. She possessed the capability to launch a stream of intense fire breath from her mouth. She achieved this by expelling flammable venom from venom sacks on the inner walls of her throat, then igniting the venom with a spark made by the grinding of her teeth. The fire produced by her when the venom sacks are fully primed easily reached a thousand six hundred degree celcius; enough to melt steel, titanium, and most other form of metals.
Link to the Artist KIRAN AGNARSSON 16 | Male | 173 cm (5'8) | 61 kg (134 pounds) Iceland | Technologism | Mobile Units (MU) Engineer
Their Story Kiran was born into a mere family of fishers and farmers. However, he showed an inquisitive nature from a young age, eager to learn about the world. He often bothered his parents, neighbors, and various other adults with questions. Some were willing to indulge him, others not so much. Libraries were his haven, which didn’t change upon being enrolled in public education. The lectures were often boring, and the teachers rarely prepared to offer him the attention he required, so he mostly did his own thing. Though he was not engaged, and often forwent preparing himself for tests – a hassle, if you asked him, really – he excelled, and was moved up a few classes. His success got him noticed by the Society for Advancement, who offered to finance special lessons in exchange for his future employment. That was the beginning of Kiran’s journey as a polymath. Through the years, he helped with the development, building, and refining of many an invention. He was also gradually inducted into the spying business, mostly because being on the frontlines of unearthing secrets was an appealing idea. The promise of travelling abroad and possible access to knowledge of other nations cemented to deal. Now, the time has finally come for Kiran to expand his horizons even further.
Specialization details Kiran has developed several improvements on powered suits and created entirely new models of mobile units. He is bringing one of the latter with him to the academy. His MU has a hybrid energy source, and can function both by relying on the electrical network or through its inbuilt Steam Core. Its size is approximately twice that of a human's. It includes the following capabilities:
Strength & Durability. Far surpassing the toughness and raw power of exosuits, a MU comes with the disadvantage of being heavier, slower, and having to be piloted rather than worn. In exchange, the person inside is even less likely to get hurt by anything.
Terrain traversal. Despite its size, this machine isn’t as heavy as it should be. As such, it is a decent (though not optimal) option for transportation. While not speedy, it can make its way across mud, deserts, mountains, or even the ice sheet. However, it is a hazard to any vegetation in its way.
Temperature regulation. This MU is capable of withstanding extreme temperatures while protecting the user from overheating or freezing. Of course, anything enough to damage the construction would also harm the person inside.
Shock dampeners. Resistant to impact, whether it’s falling from great heights or getting rammed by something.
Jets. Can gather, filter and expel air. This assists in making jumps or hovering for a short while, and does not allow for true flight.
Navigation system. Instead of a window, the pilot inside must rely on the machine’s sensors.
Yun Hana 14 | Female | 156.4 cm | 50.2 kg Korea | Egoism | Drug Factory
Hana’s past is something she keeps mostly to herself, although the picture she paints isn’t one of any lineage of greatness nor that of singular genius. She’s just one of many among her peers to get the nod for the academy. Her family was relatively well off, and tied to Korea’s imperial government, working in Seoul. She’s part of a fresh generation who is growing used to some of the conveniences of from foreign powers brought in after the Futile War. Her hometown was the first to benefit from electricity, after all.
Influenced by the opening of Korea’s borders 50 years ago, Hana’s school of egoism has taken to experimenting with a technologist influence, leaning toward mad science, or adapting technologist principles to their own bodies. She adapted her body to enact a rather literal approach to internal alchemy: she’s essentially turned herself into a living chemical plant. These sort of activities did catch the attention of the Ministry of Rites, mostly because it showed a marked break from well-established tradition. The implications of Hana’s own approach didn’t go unnoticed, either, and soon, she was encouraged to continue, under the auspices of a very small and specific branch of the ministry’s diplomacy department.
She seems to play up the “mysterious oriental” angle more than some, if only to entertain herself. Nothing quite like either confirming everyone’s most bizarre misconceptions, or suggesting the reality’s even stranger. Setting any ulterior motives aside, she’s definitely excited to be here and see what everyone else is bringing to the table (and take careful notes, of course).
Hana’s tattoos take an artful form, spiraling away from a central core at her back to flow across the rest of her body, spiraling around her limbs like vines. Much of Hana’s skin is smooth, hairless, and appears glistening with moisture, like some sort of amphibian's. Some patches even show bright color patterns reminiscent of poison dart frogs, notably along the back of her neck, and (blending in with the tattoos) her back. Some (or all) of her hair is also an unnatural color, and she dyes it black to remain inconspicuous. Hana’s sweat and salivary glands have been extensively altered to help her emit the various substances she produces within her body. Her internal organs have also changed extensively; should one cut her open, they’d probably find all manner of strange, altered, or new bits.
Hana can create chemicals in her body, and can apply them internally to herself, or emit them as a liquid or gas. While she is more agile than a normal person, most of her focus on her egoism is in developing new drugs to make or uses for the ones she can manufacture, and not on improving her sheer physicality.
She can generate the following: A drug to temporarily enhance strength and reaction time. A chemical that accelerates healing by increasing cellular regeneration. A universal antidote that can stop the action of poisons or other drugs. Hallucinogens Neurotoxin Anesthetic Pheromones that arouse specific emotions
Their Story Salim Basha (سليم باشا) is a Kurdish-born man, albeit his name is not actually Kurdish but Iraqi in nature. Poor and unable to afford any form of proper education, Salim had little else but to do hard labor to make means-end for his family and himself. It was not until the age of ten that his grandfather, Khayru Ahsan, came into Basha's life - having been released from prison (The criminal charges? Involvement in conspiracy and revolution against the Ottoman state. It did not help either that Ahsan was also a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party but that is a story kept for another time) - that things quickly changed for young Salim. Ahsan was a former Technologist and a decent one at that. Hoping to improve the life of his grand-son somehow, Ahsan educated Salim on how to do math, read, write, and more importantly taught Salim about Formulization and Technologism. Things were starting to look brighter for Salim as he used his newfound skills to better the local village community. In turn, he was more respected and gained a fair bit more money and support for his efforts. While that might be, life was quite hard. The Ottoman Empire, while granting the Kurdish peoples more autonomy and freedom, still greatly restricted the rights of the Kurds due to the material resources within the region and for nativist-political reasons that favored the Turks.
A few months after, he was making a decent name for himself as a promising person within his own field of Technologism. This caught the attention of the Teşkilât-ı Mahsusa, or Special Organization in English, a paramilitary organization heavily tied to the Ministry of War and National Intelligence Organization that acted as a de facto internal security agency within the region. Interested in the work of Salim, the Teşkilât-ı Mahsusa paid a visit to the household. Their request was simple: come with them or face imprisonment. Without much choice in the matter, Salim was forced to follow the orders. The Teşkilât-ı Mahsusa then handed Salim to the Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı for analysis. After a series of tests, Salim was found to be a fledgling learner in Polymath. Given that fact, Salim was hurried off to the Imperial School of Engineering in Istanbul. From there, Salim spent the next two years of his life studying industrial engineering and plenty of other courses in relation to said subject. At the age of thirteen, Salim, after having proved himself very capable in his own major, was given the chance to move into the Academic City of Bermuda by the Ottman government...albeit under the watchful eye of the National Intelligence Organization and Special Organization.
Specialty Explained Salim specializes in the field of industrial engineering; optimizing complex processes and systems by the development of improvements and then the implementation of the organizations into the industrial operation. In simpler words, Salim is someone that seeks to optimize how items are made (for mass production, along with standardization). Production engineering, logistics engineering, and human factors engineering are the three sub-fields of industrial engineering that Salim is currently pursuing. Manufacturing engineering concerns itself with the practices of manufacturing. What is the most effective, efficient, and economic way possible to turn raw materials into a product. What are the machines, equipment, and tools involved and how are they used within the manufacturing process? Etc. Logistics engineering is the scientific organization of how to best use transports, storage, and distribution methods in a logistical supply chain to efficiently get products to where they are needed and at the right time done at a reasonable price. Lastly is human factors engineering, also known as ergonomics, which involves a fair amount of psychological and physiological principles. The main focal point is how do humans interact with machines and other objects of interest and how to ensure that human error is kept to a minimum, increase productivity, and ensure safety and comfort for the operating human.
Organization: Teşkilât-ı Mahsusa (مخصوصه تشکیلات) | Millî İstihbarat Teşkilatı (منظمة المخابرات الوطنية) Current Mission: [Secret] Secret: [Secret]
16 | Female | 5’ 5” | 115 lbs Empire of Britannia | Technologism | Puppetmaster
Nazca Whitehall. Adopted scion of renowned archaeology professor and adventurer Sir Henry Whitehall. Not much is known of her early childhood in the New World, but she is known to be a former member of the nobility or royalty in the Tlaxcala Confederation, a landlocked polity surrounded by the Aztec Empire. A country perpetually at war with the Aztecs, despite the alliance of Spain in the Futile War, the Tlaxcala suffered greatly in the aftermath of the conflict. Its existence suffers on as a limited rump state, buoyed by Spanish and Occidental trade.
Taken in by Sir Henry during his adventures to the New World in the aftermath of a severe defeat of her people, Nazca was raised under his tutelage in London. Although she already had an understanding and proficiency of her native manipulation of the wind before her adoption, she excelled and flourished as an exceptional technological polymath after receiving a western education.
Her specialization is unique in that it blends two distinct fields of study. Her use of Formulization revolves around creating convincing clockwork doppelgangers of a broad range of animals, wildlife, and utility, but particularly specializing on birds and insects, to scout and attack. She can either assume direct control of her constructs by radio or wire, or with programmed or preset commands. Her middling ability to manipulate the wind synergizes with her constructs in this manner by assisting their flight for more radical maneuvers-- and gives her the ability to defend herself at personal range with air-based attacks.
Ostensibly, she assists her adoptive father in unlocking the mysteries of artifacts and ruins around the world at the University of Oxford and his committees with the Royal Society, which, in fact, is the innocuous academy of sciences that everybody knows it as. Some within it, though, including her father, seem to have some unusual designs towards things lurking beneath the surface of ruins in the Mexican valley and other heritage sites around the world.
Franz Steiner 16 | Male | 6'1" | 75kg Austria | Mesmerology | In Development
Franz grew up in poverty in a farming town outside Vienna. Not much is to say about it. Everyday was a struggle to keep the essentials and Franz was too young to help out his parents in the labour. However, he did display astounding potential in his academics. From a young age, most subjects he tackled were a breeze. While it was generally chalked up to being a sizeable fish in an incredibly small pond, he eventually garnered the attention from the main city.
Vienna is known as a world capital for the arts. Making massive contributions to art, music, and theatre. A pianist from a Vienna academy is one that is unmatched in their skill and grace. When Franz got recruited to study in a Vienna academy, he had thought he would be going to study the violin. But instead he was taken to the Vienna Young Polymath Academy.
While the study of Mesmerology is very underdeveloped, the Vienna Young Polymath Academy has made far greater strides than the rest of the world. They view the study of Mesmerology to be more of an art than a science. When it came to the study of it, Franz was almost unmatched.
Franz was outclassed in most ways by a noble's son, who had been studying from a far younger age. When it was announced that only one Mesmerologist from the academy would be able to attend the Academic City of Bermuda, Franz poisoned the noble's son. While there was suspicion that Franz had been the poisoner, nothing could be proven. The noble tried taken action against Franz but the academy defended him. As if they valued his ability to subtly harm someone.
"There seems to be a notion that people from poverty don't take advantage of their wealthy position. On the contrary, I intend to take every advantage I can."
Franz is a born Dyanamicist, however he did not specialize this ability to instead pursue Mesmerology.
Franz's main ability is memory manipulation. This is harshly limited by the lack of available literature and the complexity of the subject. Despite Franz being an unmatched academic, he finds himself continuously grasping at straws for the power of this field. He hopes to find more at the Academic city.
Franz's ability seems to directly relate to how much understanding he has over the subject's mind. He can affect his own mind with considerable success and, because of their reduced complexity, has shown the ability to affect insect minds. However, Franz seeks to fully understand another person so he may test on them.
Above all, Franz seeks to finally crack Mesmerology and attain the power and pretige that comes along with it.
In terms of academic achievements, he is one of the top literature and music students in Austria. While he is above average in other subjects like mathematics and science, it is nothing noteworthy.
In terms of combat, he is untrained entirely. He had a few rudimentary fencing lessons but he saw no reason in continuing them.
Organisation: Vienna Young Polymath Academy A government program to develop espionage agents using Mesmerology.
By all rights, Valeriya had little place in her current position compared to all the noble lineages and respected bloodlines she was surrounded by. She was born a girl of low birth in a newly-established industrial town in Siberia, and only the hand of fate delivered her into the clutches of one of Imperial Russia's least-known agencies: the Imperial Ministry of Intelligence.
An accident in the factory Valeriya's parents toiled in rendered the girl an orphan when she was barely three years old. Not two weeks later, erstwhile """relatives""" from out of town sauntered into the local orphanage and pulled her out, taking the young girl all the way to Moscow. In truth, these were agents of the Ministry pulling in more fresh blood to be raised in the Tsar's service. Valeriya became among the first batch of imperial agents to be raised from a young age to be spies and Polymaths abroad, as the Futile War had shown that Polymaths were ever more essential towards even intelligence work, and that it was best to reel them in young before such trifles as familial loyalty or ingrained learning created unwanted traits in potential agents.
Thus, she spent her youth being taught the arts of Formula and fieldcraft. What none expected, however, was that this girl from the ass-end of Siberia turned out to have, at the very least, a true knack at being a Polymath. By the time she was a teenager, Valeriya was at the top of her class among the Ministry's youth, and so she was to be given the crucial assignment to be inserted into Bermuda. A cover was established for her background, and her genuine achievements granted her recognition enough to legitimately qualify for entrance to the Academic Island. For Tsar and country. God save the Tsar.
Among Technologists, Electroartifice refers to the use of Formulization to craft works powered by and utilizing electricity. In Valeriya's case, she specializes in personal tools of war: arms and armor alike. Her education in history impressed a single theory on her that became applied to her Formula: the tactics of old had been on to something. The problem lay in the tools. In order to match the Egoists of the Orient, the equipment used by the Occident had to be on par.
Valeriya's Electroartifice revolves around two primary projects: powered armor to match an Egoist's speed and strength, and a weapon to surpass their durability. Some would say that this was too much of a division of resources in otherwise separate fields. Valeriya would respond by saying that one wasn't complete without the other. And so were revealed her two works: electromagnetic railgun firearms to harm Egoists where mundane equipment couldn't, and armor using electrically-powered servos to increase the wearer's agility and might.
Of course, Valeriya doesn't promote her achievements in public as being anti-Egoist technology. Rather, she claims to simply wish to usher in the next generation of weapons and armor, regardless of target.
Shou Zheng 15 | Male | 5'10, 1.78m | 234lbs, 106kg The Song Central Empire | Egoism | Aquatic Adaptation
His Story One of the youngest members of the Ministry, Shou comes from a family of sailors that have served the nation in naval matters for many generations. The high rate of Polymaths among the Zheng family is attributed to descending from a great Sea Serpent in ancient times. Though not all members have served in the Ministry, it's almost certain that they'll find their calling braving the waves of the sea.
Despite hailing from one of the older and well established families, Shou's upbringing was never suffocating for him. With generation after generation of successful Polymaths, a sense of personal freedom had become ingrained in the family. Egoism was all about expression of one's self, and trying to force one of their own to reject that and conform? That was something their Esteemed Elder would not stand. However with this freedom came the expectation that they would excel at whatever path they chose though. To that end, they spend time with many tutors from a young age so they may learn of the world and discover what might interest them to devote their studies to.
Like many of his family, the sea has called to Shou from a young age and fueled a strong sense of wanderlust. While it's likely he could have found success anywhere given how easily he took to the numerous lessons, he found himself constantly drawn to leave instead. The sparkling waters in the port of his home were far too clear, and he wished to see what laid beyond the horizons and in the murky depths below. The history of such things did not initially interest Shou, but that would change with the event that garnered the Ministry's attention.
Nowadays there are few things that can cause entire merchant fleets to sink. The spread and adoption of Technologist materials have led to sturdier ships that can withstand all but the worst of storms. Diplomatic ties among the Orient nations have reduced conflicts on the sea to a fraction of historic highs. The waters patrolled by the various navies typically ensure that whatever inhabits the lightless depths stay out of the way. Typically.
While not the lone survivor of the disaster, Shou is one of the few that has deemed capable of returning to civilization. Given the actions of other survivors upon being rescued by nearby Korean ships, it's perhaps unsurprising that he is under watch by the Ministry. Seeing how he's somehow been allowed to travel far from the nation's borders and attend Bermuda? Clearly the Ministry is not of a single intent towards Shou, and he is more than willing to test the limit of the strings placed upon him. His Formulizations Shou's tattoos are made up of seemingly unrelated symbols that are connected only through proximity and currently adorn only his back. Any flow to the collection is far from apparent and most likely something of the viewer's own perception as Shou admits it is mostly done from his gut instinct. Likewise, he does not have a particular method of developing the symbols. Some come to him in dreams while others gradually develop from his observations of the world around him. The dance between a school of fish and a pack of hunters etching itself into his mind for example.
The results of his Egoism are also quite clear to see. While he hasn't strayed from his humanoid figure yet, Shou has developed several notable bestial features that clearly mark his branch of Formulization.
Tail: Prehensile and incredibly powerful, this appendage both assists Shou in swimming through the water and functions as a natural weapon. The bony fins at the very end are quite tough and can serve as spikes, allowing the limb to both bludgeon or pierce if necessary.
Finned Ears: Even the ability to see in the dark is not enough at the depths Shou can dive to. In order to make up for that, he has developed the ability to use echolocation in place of vision. The extensions help to capture the returning sound waves. While he lacks lacks the ability to use echolocation out of water, the shift in vocal cords required for echolocation do allow something of a deafening shout if needed.
Ocean Born: The most obvious feature here would be the slits on the front of Shou's neck that serve as gills when he's underwater and the webbed hands and feet that increase water mobility. Some of the other properties include being resistant to pressure and temperature changes, and an increased lung capacity that was leftover from before his gills manifested.
Superhuman Physique: The nature of his changes alongside the training Shou has undergone has put him squarely beyond what a regular human could hope to accomplish. While much of this is simply supernatural, his body itself is also denser, tougher, and stronger.
Organization: Ministry of Maritime AffairsThe 13th Sea
Their Story Growing up in Dhaka could have been much worse for an orphaned boy. Abandoned at the dead of night as a babe, he was fortunate enough to be left in front of the door of one of the Mughal Empire's most profitable merchants. Muhammad Gharbi, an opportunistic tradesman thriving in the heart of Mughal industry, saw history come full circle. He himself had been abandoned and orphaned at a young age and within a young, mewling babe, he saw potential. Now Muhammad was not the ideal father, instead much too busy with travelling and matters of trade than to take care of his adopted son. Instead, the young and newly named Kalil was surrounded by wealth, a plentiful amount of servants and given a great education. As befitting the heir to a rich merchant. History, mathematics and economics were taught to him but he had always had a growing interest within the slowly advancing realm of physics. The study of the natural world down to its basics, the energies which surrounded us and, in particular, the study of the relation between work and sound. Sensing the potential within his adopted son grow, Muhammad, on the boy's 13th birthday, proposed to let his son join him on a trading expedition towards Abya Yala. On this trip, certain events would occur that would drastically his lot in life.
Within Abya Yala, Kalil encountered one of the great Edenic Beasts which roamed the continents, gaining its favour with charm and sharp, natural intellect. Charging his ability to perceive the formulae of the world. To create a greater understanding of the inner workings which fascinated him. To unlock the seemingly mystic arts of dynamicism. To Muhammad, upon learning of his son's feat, saw money rain down from the heavens. The opportunity and prestige this could gain him, the fostering of an upcoming polymath genius who could major in one of the rarer specialisations within the Empire! Celebrations were needed and the return to Dhaka was hastened to facilitate them quicker.
Upon return, the Gharbi duo would see a manor in flames and servant's bodies strewn across the lawn. Muhammad was not a perfect man and could often dabble within the more criminal underside of the world's largest city. He had promised a certain share of wealth from a different trading expedition to a local drug lord, mysterious head of the Golden Bengals. This was in exchange for funding for the duo's own expedition towards Abya Yala. Upon the shipwrecking of the other half of Muhammad's trading fleet, the Bengals sought their share of promised wealth. Through the plunder and slaughter within the Gharbi manor, the seizing of Muhammad's assets and funds as well as his adopted only son. The so-called prodigy of Dhaka, rumoured to have gained the knowledge needed to pursue the seemingly magical dynamicist arts. This was in a time where the layman Mughal had little knowledge of the science behind the formulae of the world. In exchange for his and his father's life, Kalil would be branded with a tiger on his chest, sworn to the service of the Bengals and could only pursue further education in the aspect of furthering the Bengal's riches. Muhammad would be kept prisoner until his son's 18th, whereupon his son must bring the Golden Bengals an equivalent wealth to the share lost in that shipwrecked trading fleet.
Without this, his father will be killed and Kalil made a permanent slave to the crime syndicate. He sets his sights upon Bermuda, where opportunity laid itself in front of him. Where his cursed gifts could bring him and his father to freedom.
Abilities Here included is a description of "abilities" that Kalil is capable of:
Thermal Manipulation - Kalil is able to, within certain limits, control the heat flow between objects or between an object and its surroundings. Certainly enough to vaporise water within a given container though only through his growing resistance to heat. He has better control over heat flow within solids and liquids than gases. This does wonders for his stress, in the form of his own pocket shisha without the need for charcoal. In combination with relieving stress, it helps with making heat manipulation into something second nature to him.
Wind Manipulation - In an incredibly rudimentary way, Kalil can control the movement of differing gases and different temperatures of air. Within spaces where he knows the gaseous properties within, where gases can leak in or out, he can have greater control. However, outside of these carefully studied places, he can only control sound within a certain radius around him. He does not have the expertise to accelerate air, merely move it.
Sound Manipulation through thermal and wind dynamicism - Through observations and experimentation, Kalil has found the connection between the energy of the air around us and the sound which propagates through it. Through the excitement of particles in the air, he can increase the amplitude of a given sound wave to increase volume. Similarly, he can siphon heat from the air to decrease volume of a given sound wave. He is constantly working towards furthering his abilities in this area, believing greater strides in unique sound manipulation could bring his own and his father's freedom. Potentially by manipulating the frequency of the sound waves to manipulate what they sound like
Organization: The Golden Bengals, under the front of his father's Gharbi Trading Co.
James Porter 18 | Male | 5'7" | 149 lbs Empire of Britannia | Dynamicism | Chemical Assassin
Their Story Kidnapped at the age of 7, James was trained in her Majesty's new Military Intelligence project codenamed: "Good Little Deeds". There he was taught to speak multiple languages, handle firearms, and become one of the brightest minds among Britannia's citizens. His original purpose was to infiltrate into foreign nations and gather intelligence and conduct sabotage missions. However, he had a particular talent for brewing poisonous gaseous solutions. This talent was deadly when paired with his use of Dynamicist formulations.
At first, his potent poisons were simple and needed a lot of setup before they could be deployed without risk of towards himself. That was of course until he studied a little bit of Technologism. His major talent still lied within his fine dynamic control, however, altering the specifics of his poisons with Technologistic formulations were key to his continued success.
His missions from the day of his recruitment to his current assignment have been his life. He has no childhood, no parents that he can remember (or cares to remember), and no real friends. However, he still has many of his years ahead of him and life can change in a hearbeat, his story has only yet begun. Organization: Institute of Good Little Deeds
You would be hard pressed to find Bang in anything sloppier than smart casual attire. Presentation is key for first impressions after all, that's what his mentors would drill into him. Not a button unbuttoned, not a wrinkle unsteamed. Neatness is its own benefit but so is the coverage it provides for the compression layer underneath.
Besides his well-kept suit, a passer-by would also notice the simple cane he walks with to compensate for the limp in his right leg, along with the glove he only wears on his right hand. If one were to bump into him, they'd likely remark on how solid his gloved appendage feels.
Their Story: It was a rather sudden thing. Foreseeable, he supposed (an observation tragic in its own right), but it was just like in the stories he’d read in the Egoist epics. His body simply moved on its own, and subsequently had 26% of its mass blown off from his brother’s abstraction.
Their father was a callous but ambitious researcher who expected his children to have the same drive as him. Early in his life, Bang was deemed the less viable of the pair, too soft and non-confrontational. He was spared from having to engage in the family’s Egoism studies. He didn’t know what his brother Khanh was put through, though his prodding around in later years told him that they were attempting more powerful but volatile experimental methods.
Bang watched his brother’s will corrode in real-time. Whatever they were doing to him in that campus, it turned a fiery-hearted young man into a seething, broken mess. His temper would snap at the slightest provocations. Whatever skin was exposed at home would be littered with tattoos and scars in equal measure. Bang could feel his heart breaking more for him with every passing week.
Fast forward two years to a tense family dinner. Another snide comment from their father about Khanh’s progress. An angry retort from the eldest son. Something was different this time though, more heated and bitter. The table and chair were toppled as he stood up, and heat began to swirl around the dining room.
“Why don’t you look at what I’ve done for you? Look at it!”
Bang recognised the way his brother flexed that hand of his, memories of their sibling brawls flashing red. Khanh was going to go all out. Little 12-year-old Bang dived in to tackle his brother away from the family and the next thing he knew he was on the ground, feeling more and more of his life force spurting out onto the tiled floor with every weak pulse in his partially erased ribcage.
They told him he was vegetative for nearly three months. That his coma was the easy part. What came afterwards would often make him wish he’d gone out in that tragedy. Occidental alloy rods were fused into his body to replace his missing bones. The new ribs were easily the worst part, but at least that was eventually done with. After that was the studying. Egoism was what literally tore his family apart, but it was also what would save his life. He took up the study of regeneration, one of the most primitive forms of Egoism. Through this, Bang was placed in debt to his father and, indirectly, the government organisation he served. As long as blood still flowed through his shamble of a body, his will was theirs.
Despite the more modern fashion of the face claim, Inti wears the traditional clothes of his homeland. Colorful, strongly woven tabards, pants, shirts and shawls. Besides when sleeping, he can pretty much always be seen in a poncho of some sort - his favorite being a big red, white, and purple item with an intricate pattern stitched in. His hair is indeed a tricolor enigma that he states he was born with. Like all of his siblings, both within his Bunch and outside of it, he sports a small tattoo of a chakana on his shoulder blade.
Inti Ruq'a 15 | Male | 158cm-5'2'' | 40kg-88lbs Tawantinsuyu | Dynamicism | Magnetism
Their Story Can one create a Polymath? What would it take to do so? Would one have to grasp the very formulae that make up the human soul, or can the perfect environment be created to condition a Polymath from birth? In Tawantinsuyu, known outside of the 'New World' as the Inca Empire, the answer lay in a certain small population of 'kurakakuna,' those families that gave their bloodlines in service to the Empire. With Edenic Beasts as their mentors, those that would have been called priests centuries ago began working with these families to create Polymaths soon after the Futile War came to a close. Early tests were all but failures, as they quickly realized that humans couldn't simply grant the ability to perceive formulae the way the great Beasts could. They turned to other avenues, and other Formulizations for the project. At it's current stage with the introduction of Egoists specializing in 'reproduction,' altering their bodies and wombs to create the perfect vessel for special children, the project has seen some success.
Tawantinsuyu's 'artificial Polymaths' number few, but they'd proven it was indeed possible! Motivated by the results of this research branch, other branches of the government turned their sights to other things that had been deemed impossible. Mesmerology, or changing the formula of a living being, maybe it all could be possible.
The next question was, how many other nations had similar projects?
This is where Inti comes in.
He is a third generation artificial Polymath - or more accurately part of 'Bunch #3', the third batch of children which could be considered homunculi. With the opening of the Academic City of Bermuda, and the subjects of Bunch #4 still too young, Inti was chosen as the representative of Tawantinsuyu. He was the most gifted with formulae of all his fellow bunch-siblings, and with a strong life force, positive attitude and a specialization in Dynamicism that was previously achieved through relentless study and use of natural mineral and lodestones, there was no better choice. He would be able to show the rest of the world the potential of Tawantinsuyu, while absorbing information about other nations at the same time.
That last part was particularly interesting to Inti himself, as growing up in a government facility could be pretty dull at times. The artificial Polymaths were treated well, raised and socialized in groups and given an approximation of 'normal' childhood, in between their Formulization studies... but they were also smart kids that could tell their situation wasn't exactly the usual. For Inti, though unquestioningly loyal to Tawantinsuyu and the only family he's known, the prospect of making some outside friends, learning about other cultures and experiencing life outside is extremely exciting. Despite any ulterior motives, he is giddy and optimistic about the semester. Organization: Qamaq Bureau
Jeanne du Bordeaux 18| Female | 171cm | 58kg France | Technologist | Energy Furnaces
Their Story Energy! Movement!
Everything was a form of energy in some way. Food stored energy the body can burn. Fire released energy from wood that it had stored while growing. Even such concepts of heat and cold were simply movements of energy. She found that it was easy to just burn down the flowers by simply attuning a furnace to spit fire from a controlled release valve. Even a lake filled with disgusting fishes was easily purged by simply venting a furnace into its depths. Ah but the people do not understand, and berated her over those. Even her peers shunned her, but that was of no matter for they were but children(literally).
People said she mellowed over the years, and her mischiefs were no more. Fie, she would say. Twas not that she was mischievous, but that people simply did not see. Of course, she already had her eyes set upon a target. One that would set her name in stone, echoing throughout history.
The sky that mocked them with its brilliance, that defied understanding. Were it not a bowl? A facade that kept them from whatever lies beyond? Was it the gate that held heaven from their grasp?
If so, she would be the demon that would tear it down. She would be the one to kick down its doors, look upon the Maker upon his throne and thumb her nose at his Smugness. And what more appropriate to tear down Heaven, than Earth itself. If she was to install a gigantic furnace, and use Earth's very heart as its core, she was certain she could destroy the very veneer that held the skies together, and reveal the truth beyond. But for that, she needed money, man power and materials beyond her current reach, and that was when the Friends came in with open palms, ready to adorn her own with riches.
Majapahit Federation (Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore) | Egoism | Animalization
Her Story A weird woman coming from an equally weird country. Bunga Kurniawan was the daughter of Wealthy Spice Merchants in the city of Palembang, a city established in 683 AD and continuously inhabited ever since. Growing up in a very Liberal, Cultured, and Wealthy environment. Bunga quickly became innately curious of the natural world that practically surrounds the great trading city. And this is when her brushes with the local community of Polymaths quite literally changed her.
They were a unique bunch. A group of Polymaths that spent their time in the University of Palembang complex studying the formulas of Floras and Faunas, a notoriously tough subject for even the most seasoned of Polymaths, and through her constant observation and help, made easier by the fact that her parents are very generous donors for the University. She began unofficial training to become a Polymath herself.
Combine this with a very good International education that her family provided for her, and the relatively open society she grew up in. She managed to make major contributions to the fields of 'natural formulae', not by necessarily replicating organic life, she even think that part of Formulaic studies is impossible, but by imbuing Formulae that mimic the traits of animals into the human body. she herself being a case in point.
How she got her animal ears was a little bit of a mystery even to herself. She was busy doing observations of the Red Fox at the city's local zoo, noting the animal's movements and patterns, perhaps in a bit to find the formulae that makes the Red Fox tick, she muttered some wordings, written some stuff that seemed to glow and disappear, and went back home. She woke up with a pair of fox ears, a significantly enhanced sense of smell, and enhanced agility not attributable from working out. The animal ears quickly disappeared after two days though, as do her sense of smell and agility as well.
She also did that with the goat as well, gaining a pair of Horns (that she hides with a separate Formulae, those things can be very annoying when she sleeps), along with a penchant and skill for mountain climbing. The penchant is still within her, but the goat horns that she gained quickly disappeared just as quickly as those fox ears. She is still trying to find out how to will out her animalistic traits on command.
All of that happened 2 years ago, and ever since, she has been busy trying to replicate her findings, with the help of the University and even some Governmental ministries that heard of the news and got involved as well.
And that was when the Badan Pertahanan Nasional (National Defense Body) and the offer to travel to Bermuda came to her. The BPN was highly interested in the transfer of 'Animalistic' traits into the hands of Majapahit's soldiers, potentially turning the already very trained Egoist soldiers of the Federation even more overpowered, while The ministry of Research and Development will fund further research into the branch quickly being called Animalism.
And Bunga was at the forefront of that research. Currently one of the very few people in the world that has managed to transfer whole animal traits into herself. Even if it is a temporary change, she is still nonetheless researching the bleeding edge of what egoism could be. And the offer to go to Bermuda was quickly taken by her, a chance to do research? With the best egoist minds across the whole world? Bunga would be an idiot if she declines.
Honestly, national defense aside, she's here only to talk with other potential smart kids, the quick and very kitbashed training the BPN gave to her was sufficient to make her hold her own in case of a fight. But really, as far as the bigshots in Trowulan is concerned, everyone expected her to be a passive agent, not really gunning for any active threats to the Federation at this moment.
Through continuous research, and a couple of accidents, Bunga has gained a couple of traits not really exhibited among most humans. The main difference between Bunga's Animalization compared to other egoists though, is that Bunga's transformations are ultimately temporary, Bunga has the ability to 'will' some part of her body in and out of existence should she need to do so, but ultimately all these animalistic traits she gained would be gone by 2 days time. Nonetheless, she has amassed quite a few traits that she can will into existence, assuming she remembers the formulae of course.
Due to the temporary nature of her Egoist adaptations. She usually incorporates Body Paint on her forearms and lower legs, since she covers those up with her socks and evening gloves, and using temporary ink as well. Hence the nature of her temporary adaptations. The patterns she writes on herself usually take on very fractal forms, with the same patterns again and again up to a certain extent, since she is attempting to copy the Formulae of nature herself. The ink she uses usually disappear after her traits are gone.
- Goat Vision (Don't laugh!): The 'goat vision' as Bunga called it, has granted her extremely sharp eyesight, able to see flies and mosquitos even at a distance of a meter or more with great clarity, and also grants her night-vision too! Her eyes that reflects light even in darkness can be an unnerving sight even for some egoists, she just finds them funny though. - Climbing Proficiency: Perhaps a part of absorbing the 'goat formulae' when she was 16, Bunga has the ability to almost innately know the best way to climb a vertical surface to reach to the top, she has climbed rock cliffs without aid with a skill exceeding that of professional climbers. Potentially useful if she has to climb something. - Goat Horns: A trait she kept under disguise, she can head-butt anyone she wanted to and probably come out the other end without any concussion or brain damage. Probably useful in a fight but she's not really one to find conflict anyway. - Fox hearing: A gift and curse, her fox ears has gifted her the ability to have the hearing range of the Red Fox, an animal that can hear a watch ticking from 40 yards away. Safe to say, if she wants to hear something from afar, she would easily pick it up. It's also super fluffy! - Fox tails: This doesn't help as much, it's just super fluffy! and a great companion when she's sleeping. - Fox speed: She can run at a speed equivalent to that of a Red Fox, a maximum of 50km/h, and 6-12 km/h when she jogs.
Organization: Kementrian Riset, Sains dan Teknologi (officially), Badan Pertahanan Nasional (unofficially)
