Player Name: Marie O'Hare

Appearance: Standing at 5'1" and typically covering herself with sweaters and slacks, Marie would have an easy time fading into the background if not for her long, frizzy, bright orange-red hair. Black, rectangular-framed glasses and a smattering of freckles add more defining features to her otherwise plain face, which her round, dark brown eyes don't stand out much from.

Nationality: Canadian

Age: 25

Personality: A shy wallflower, the kind of girl who hid her developing body with sweaters and stayed home during "Kick a Ginger Day" during high school. But with the anonymity of the internet, through which she can connect with people she became friends with through games, she is able to express her inner fire and be the excitable, outspoken woman she wishes she had the confidence to be around people in person.

Backstory: The daughter of two very supportive parents, she was introduced to video games through her father, who enjoyed them as one of his primary hobbies. In her teens, she was attracted to the Rift Warriors series, during the later end of the eighth entry's lifetime in particular, after being exposed to its community online, which seemed full of fun and supportive people. She found herself drawn to the character Queen Morag, since playing as her gave her a great rush of power and confidence. She would go on to get a pretty high online ranking through Rift Warriors IX's lifetime, putting her fast learning skills to use in exploring the ins and outs of the game's mechanics and data, but it wasn't until the announcement of Rift Warriors X's strange release schedule that she decided to take after Morag and begin attending tournaments, albeit with her face fully hidden and always going by her console handle ForTheRedQueen. Applying that learning ability to picking the brains of better players whenever possible and getting as much feedback on her play style as she could, the result was framed by commentators as a rookie's phenomenal shoot up the rest of the rankings, edging in at being the fifth highest ranked player at the last opportunity.

Rift Warrior Character: Queen Morag

Rift Warrior Appearance: Standing at 5'11" and adorned with long, raven hair often seen blowing in the wind, Morag cuts a stunning figure when posing dynamically during rallying speeches. Her grey plate armor hides a toned, muscular body, while the rod-supported skirt of black fabric hiding her greaves helps reinforce her femininity. The leer of her narrow black eyes strikes fear into the hearts of her enemies, while a scar running from her right cheek to the edge of the left side of her jaw reminds them why that fear is justified. She even makes a point of not putting her black lipstick over the scarred sections of her lips to make it clear she isn't ashamed of any wound sustained in battle.

Debut: Rift Warriors VI, in which she had the role of the two phase final boss of the arcade mode. She was also playable in the same title, with her super armor naturally less powerful despite her attacks being just as slow, and without access to the second phase form.

Rift Warrior Backstory: The queen of a kingdom of little renown that existed in 8th Century England, the tail end of what is often known as the Dark Ages. Have grown in a time of constant strife and unmet needs, Morag grew into a stern, charismatic, and ferocious woman and warrior, wresting rulership of her kingdom by force in a bloody coup in which she herself claimed the previous king's head, and went on to provide for her subjects by taking from other kingdoms. It was fresh after one such conquest that not only herself, but her army and her castle were pulled into the Rift. After being bestowed power by The Messenger, she vowed to conquer the world of the Rift, with the ultimate goal of uniting as many warriors as would fight by her side to defeat not only The Messenger, but also whoever it was that the so-called "Messenger" was meant to be relaying the messages of.

Rift Warrior Powers: Morag was granted the ability to open portals between her own location and any she'd previously been to. She utilizes this power to summon soldiers and knights from her army to herself, as well as teleport herself around her opponents. She also retains the martial abilities she obtained through her own life, possessing the strength and skill to wield a heavy halberd for close quarters combat. This halberd has a banner wrapped around the shaft, which conceals a war horn also strapped to the shaft.

Playstyle: Morag is defined by slow, high damage normals that do not combo into one another, her summonable soldiers, her teleport, and her status as one of the handful of characters on the roster to make use of Rift Warriors' unique super armor mechanics. The super armor in Rift Warriors works on a hit point system that gives each character that uses it a specific amount of points of damage that this armor is good for, which slowly recovers while not receiving or blocking attacks, and after being broken, refills immediately once the character returns to neutral. Morag is among the few that has more super armor points than the most high damage single hit in the game, meaning at full armor she can always tank through at least one hit before being staggered. However, most of her attacks are slow enough that most of the roster are plus on trade, and though the super armor prevents her animations from being interrupted, she still suffers a moment of hitstop which can give even some slower attacks enough time to block after. She does have one quick normal, a forward toe kick, but it does abysmal damage and, like the rest of her normals, does not combo into anything.

In order to land attacks and avoid just being a punching bag that tries to hit back every so often, Morag players need to make use of her stellar mix-up game to keep opposing players guessing, which is where her summons and teleport come into play. In addition to summoning soldiers next to herself, she can also set up a lingering portal with a down->up+button or up->down+button charge input and use it as an anchor to summon soldiers from or teleport to, which disappears after it is used. Only one summon can be present on screen at a time. The same one can't be summoned until after it retreats back through its portal, while a different one will interrupt the one currently present and force the current summon to retreat. Her summons include:

• A shortsword wielding soldier who does quick attacks once summoned, up to three times for a total of five hits if his attacks land or are blocked, then retreats. If struck by Morag, will tuck into a somersault with sword extended and fly forward across the screen, retreating once leaving the screen. If summoned from an aerial lingering portal, will perform an overhead aerial while dropping down, then follow up with an upward launch as it jumps retreats. Spending meter will allow the soldier to perform his full combo regardless of if it whiffs, and will make the full combo true since there's no delay to confirm the hit.
• A bow wielding soldier who will lob three arrows which hit overhead at close, mid, and long range, then retreats. The arrows take a moment to travel, allowing Morag to reposition and attempt to capitalize on the opponent's option. The arrows can also hit aerial opponents during their arc, and cover a decent horizontal range as they spread out. If struck by Morag, will fire off three more arrows simultaneously that travel straight and fan out upward. If summoned from an aerial lingering portal, will perform three successive shots aimed below back, below center, and below front, then retreat. Spending meter will call a crossbow wielding soldier who fires a bolt that travels straight forward and hits low, and will fire a second low hitting bolt if struck by Morag, or will fire a bolt directly at the opposing character if summoned from an aerial lingering portal.
• A spear and tower shield wielding soldier who stands where he is summoned with shield raised, blocking attacks from the front and preventing characters who aren't Morag from moving past. If shield is struck, will thrust once with spear. If struck from behind, will charge forward with spear, then retreat once offscreen. If summoned from an aerial lingering portal, will fall to the ground and assume normal behavior, facing whichever direction the opponent is in. Spending meter will call two soldiers, one standing on the shoulders of the other, making the formation able to reach jumping opponents. This soldier will only retreat when a different summon is used.
• A lance wielding cavalry knight who charges forward across the screen as a constant hitbox, then retreats once offscreen. If struck by Morag, the horse will kick backward and strike Morag back, doing damage and sending her flying backward to the edge of her side of the screen if it breaks her super armor, then retreat. If summoned from an aerial lingering portal, will drop down with a knockdown hitbox under the horse. If this lands, the horse will trample the opponent for a few extra hits before retreating. If it misses, the lance wielder will perform a circular swing of his lance while the horse turns around before retreating. Spending meter will cause the charge's hitbox to be multi-hit, allowing it to corner carry the opponent, or If summoned from an aerial lingering portal, will cause the horse to perform the trample regardless of if the drop hitbox whiffs, and follow up with the circular lance swing.
• A sword and shield wielding knight. This can only be summoned using a super, and is exempt from the normal summon limitations: it can be used in conjunction with the other summons, stays out until either its time limit is reached or its hp runs out, and will always be summoned where Morag is standing. It has its own, fairly limited moveset, ai, and super armor points and moves independently of Morag, and can't be struck by her. Its attacks are slightly faster, but do less damage than Morag's.

By using her various summons in addition to her teleport, which is set to the backward->forward+button and forward->backward+button charge inputs, a skilled Morag player can catch enemies in pincer attacks or capitalize off forcing them to block specific attacks, while dancing in and out of the opponent's effective range. Her teleport behavior changes based on her distance from her opponent, as well as the presence of a lingering portal. Back->forward will teleport Morag to close range in front of the opponent at mid-long range, close range behind the opponent at close range, and if a lingering portal exists anywhere in front of her, she'll teleport to it. Forward->back will teleport her half a screen away from the opponent at close range, mid range behind the opponent at mid-long range, and if a lingering portal exists behind her, she'll teleport to it.

One of her forward normals can be held. Normally it's a forward thrust with the tip of her halberd, but if the button is held, she'll instead thrust it through a portal, causing it to hit behind the opponent. It can also be made to hit in front, above, or below the opponent by holding a different direction after pressing the button. An existing lingering portal will supersede all these options, but this normal has the unique property of not closing the lingering portal when used like this.

Other:

• Queen Morag's taunt in the game allows the player to play the war horn on her halberd like a regular instrument a la Big Band in Skullgirls.
• The second phase of Morag's boss fight in Rift Warriors VI consists of her summoning a large platoon of soldiers, which stack up and combine to form the torso, arms, and head of a giant warrior wielding dual swords. The player would be tasked with avoiding the unblockable but slow sword swings, and using the shields of off-balance soldiers after each attack to jump to the head where Morag stood to cause damage. This form then became playable from Rift Warriors VII and onward as a secret secondary ultimate activated by using her taunt to sound the war horn in a specific way. It's treated more as an Easter Egg by most players because of how hard it is to actually land hits while it's active, though some clever players can still make good use of it since each attack can be delayed and aimed at a different spot for a maximum of three seconds.

Player Name: Ren Kline

Appearance: When transported into the world of Rift Warriors, in addition to gaining the powers and wardrobe of Aster, Ren's physiology changed as well to match Aster's, resulting in gaining many aspects of his appearance.

Nationalities: Japanese & U.S. American

Age: 21

Personality: Ren is the quiet type. He's antisocial and suffers from chronic clinical depression. He has a tendency to overanalyze, and is a meticulous perfectionist. He has a proclivity towards sesquipedalian diction, and gets disappointed when he is forced to dumb it down. He spends a lot of time online, watching shows, reading novels, and playing games as both a form of escapism and, depending on the type of content, an attempt to feel something. Competition is one of the few things that can consistently get his heart racing, as well as one of the few forms of social interactions he enjoys and actively seeks out. He likes playing with all kinds of players, and will often switch to characters he has less experience with as a handicap to level the playing field. Unfortunately, he's done this often enough to improvise good combos for every character and now plays all of them at a fairly competent level.

Backstory: Ren's mother is Japanese and his father is American. They married, lived in the U.S. for a while, had Ren, moved to Japan for a while, had a fight, with Ren and his father moving back to the U.S. for a while, made up, moved back to Japan for a while, and eventually split up for good, with Ren bouncing back and forth since. He's always been an only child, though over time he came to grow more distant from his parents as they each, at least in his perception, prioritized their own problems over him. Ren is bilingual and has gone to school in both America and Japan. He hasn't made many friends at either place, and the few friendships he has made generally don't survive him moving away every year. He can't decide where he wants to live, and can't figure out how to make enough money to move out in the first place. His parents both work their own jobs, both keep unsubtly hinting that they want him to live near them, and both keep making promises they can't fulfill. For the last couple of years, he's been unemployed, withdrawn, and hasn't spoken much with either of his parents.

Enter Rift Warriors. It's a long-running franchise, and he's played the games since he was a kid. However, it wasn't until recent years, especially in Rift Warriors VII through IX did he really get into the series on a competitive level. He won his local tournaments often enough that he gained the confidence to try participating in bigger tournaments, and he was certainly no stranger to travel. By Rift Warriors VIII, he was a well-recognized player, and he managed to win his first nationals towards the tail end of VIII's competitive popularity. When Rift Warriors IX came around, he shot up the rankings, and is now regarded by many as the best Rift Warriors player around.


Rift Warriors Character: Aster Wilde

Debut: Rift Warriors V, though he's been a part of the lore since Rift Warriors II, mentioned in passing as the half-brother of another character who's been in since the first Rift Warriors.

Playstyle: Contrary to appearances, Aster is a sticky rushdown character with a strong neutral game. Although most of his attacks utilize his guns, and he doesn't have any ammo system to hold him back, his bullets don't actually go full screen, fizzling out at about half screen unless he spends meter. Nonetheless, the bullets still cover a huge area, travel fast, can lead into combos or blockstrings, and are very hard to whiff punish since they have little startup and end lag. It doesn't really matter where you are on the screen, you need to be prepared for him to flash step in and shoot you. His movement is quite excellent, allowing him to convert bullet hits into combos, which generally require his shorter ranged melee attacks for good damage. Several of these melee attacks are just gun shots that don't actually fire any bullets, merely creating a small blast effect out of the muzzle. His backwards action dive, where he leaps backwards while shooting above him, is generally considered one of the best anti-airs in the game, since it has a huge disjoint and can lead into a full combo with some meter. His flash-jump lets him do the opposite, appearing in the air (turned around, perfect for crossing up opponents) and firing off a series of bullets whose kickback somehow keeps him airborne, allowing him to drift forward to follow up for a combo or backwards to avoid retaliation. Finally, he also has demon magic, which solely manifests in game in one of his supers to summon flaming chains around opponents that "drag them off to hell" (for apparently only a second before they fall from the sky somehow) and in his taunts to establish demon contracts, which are more fun little gimmicks than a viable tactic. Essentially, by pressing various button combinations during his taunt, he can offer his opponent a magic contract, tossing it at them. It's unblockable, but does no damage, and prompts them to accept or deny the contract. Besides punishing mashers, he can also spend more meter than its worth to force them to accept the contract. Once accepted, a gameplay restriction is placed on both players, such as "no jumping" or "no supers". Naturally, he has ways of cheating all of the contracts, such as flash-jumps not counting as jumps, or being able to spend meter outside of supers on things like long range bullets. All but the newest of players know to decline his contracts, but then again most Aster players don't even bother using them because of that.

In terms of weaknesses, his biggest one is that he doesn't have a lot of defensive options besides his backwards dive, which itself is punishable if predicted. He has no meterless reversal, and he's rather meter-hungry, having to choose between dumping it into combo damage, using it for zoning, or using it to cover for mistakes.

Aster's Backstory: Aster is a half-demon hitman and bounty hunter living in a near-future pseudo-apocalypse brought on by climate catastrophe coupled with the aftermath of world war 3. His demon father was summoned by an unknown (dead) group of humans, and went on to manipulate certain characters and NPCs into conflict. Only about 1/4th of the original human population remains in his time.

Aster makes a living hunting down persons of interest and the many war criminals that fell through the cracks. His primary, if not only goal, seems to be to make a lot of money. He's superhuman, possessing great strength, (how much is never shown) capable of moving faster than the eye can see, (flash step trope) and has inherited the ability to use "demon magic" from his father. (which is vaguely defined besides the use of demon contracts) He is canonically an edgy, over the top, devil-may-cry-esque badass.

Aster's Powers: Aster was given the ability to control minds, though it's been shown to be short of absolute control in the lore, working best when its target is unaware, and has little impact on gameplay, besides forcing people to accept demon contracts. In the tutorial of Rift Warriors VI, he teaches his half brother, who had lost his memory, how to play the game with it, and calls his own ability "usually useless" in a fight.

Player Name: Daniel “Danny” Davis

Faceclaim:

Nationality: United States

Age: 18

Personality: Danny is something of a shy introvert. The fact that he was bullied a lot when he was younger. He prefers to keep to himself, or at the very least small groups. He tries hard to be friendly, if only to get people to like him so he won’t be bullied anymore, but a lot of the times ends up just being awkward. He usually perks up when the conversation goes in a direction he’s interested in. When he’s interested in the subject matter, then he keeps talking and talking.

He gets nervous very easily. He tries to hide that by making jokes and being witty, but all that seems to do is make people want to punch him. He really wants to be brave and cool, but he finds being that kind of person difficult. He’s shy and self conscious, and gets embarrassed when he gets any kind of attention good or bad. He gets particularly nervous around guys he happens to find attractive. At that point, he starts stammering. He’s not good at flirting.

He’s in many ways a complete geek. He loves science, reads a lot, loves computers and the Internet, enjoys playing video games. He also likes cute things, and the color pink. He has a small collection of plushies at home. It was something he was bullied for in the past. He’s not very good at sports either.

Backstory: David and Denise Davis gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Daniel. They had a difficult time having a baby, so when they finally had Danny, he was their miracle baby. They cherished him, and wanted to do their best to give him every advantage in life.

Growing up, Danny discovered he was rather intelligent. He did very well academically. Science was his favorite subject. However, he was also introverted and quiet and did not do well socially. He was often picked on by other kids because of it. Not helping the matter was the fact that he liked the color pink as well cute things, and other stuff that was stereotypically girly. He preferred to play with Barbies and stuffed animals while other boys liked playing with Hot Wheels and Football. He also wasn’t very good at sports. While he had supportive parents at home, he had a difficult time making friends at school.

His most consistent bully is a boy named Skyler. At one point, Danny had a crush on him. Danny worked up the nerve to confess his feelings. Of course, those feelings were not mutual. Skyler laughed in his face, and outed him to the whole school. It was embarrassing, and made going to school much more difficult. Now Skyler picked on him regularly. Things often escalated to violence for trivial reasons, like if he got a better grade than him on an exam. He didn’t dare tell anyone. Things only got worse when you snitched.

He endured it for years, and did his best to get by. He wanted to be cool, brave, and popular. No matter how hard he tries, he always has trouble pulling it off. The only time he could have any kind of confidence is when they play Rift Warriors. He chose to play as The Spartan because he was a hot shirtless man, as well as being all of the things Danny wished he could be in real life. He was also interested in Greek Mythology. He had been playing Rift Warriors since the first one came out. He never shared it with any of the people he went to school with because as soon as it came out that he liked something, that thing would immediately become uncool. Instead, he played anonymously against online players. He sucked at first, but gradually got better over time. never expected to actually be competitive about it, he just played for fun. When he heard about Rift Warriors X, and the competition involved, he knew he had to be one of those players to get their hands on a copy. With The Spartan as his main, he climbed up the Leaderboards, and became one of the top 5 players in the world.

Rift Warrior Character: The Spartan

Rift Warrior Faceclaim:


Debut: This character has been around since Rift Warriors I

Rift Warrior Backstory: The Spartan is a mysterious man from Ancient Greece. He is a soldier in the Spartan army, and fought against the invading Roman army. Not much is known about him, except that he is an orphan raised since childhood to be a soldier. He was pulled into the Rift, and now has to fight his way back home.

Right Warrior Powers: The Spartan has access to a variety of weapons. Each one of then has an ability based on a different Greek God.

Sword of Zeus: An electrified sword that can summon large shockwaves of lightning.

Athena’s Shield: Used to protect against some enemy attacks. Can also be used to bash enemy skulls! It can sometimes turn enemies to stone for a short time

Eros Bow: Can fire arrows with heart shaped tips, that have a chance to cause an opponent to become infatuated with The Spartan, and not attack him, and possibly attack other enemies instead.

Ares War Hammer: Deals fiery elemental damage to multiple opponents when he slams the ground with it.

Helmet of Hades: When activated, it can temporarily make The Spartan invisible to opponents.

Trident of Poseidon: Can summon tidal waves that deal watery damage, and knockback.

Demeter’s Spear: A wooden spear that causes plants to slowly sprout from a wound inflicted with it, causing chip damage over time.

Staff of Hermes: Can summon a small tailwind that makes The Spartan faster.

Lyre of Apollo: Playing a song on this lyre can heal the wounds of allies within range.

Artemis’ Hunting Knife: A knife that can channel concentrated moonlight, and temporarily leaves foes blind.

The Spartan also has a Rage meter that makes his attacks stronger when the meter fills up.

Other: I’ll add something here later, maybe…

Player Name: Thomas Clarke

Nationality: British

Age: 22

Personality: Thomas is something of an odd individual. While he seems closed off and reserved initially, he's actually quite friendly and sociable. This is due in part to him not having many friends. Being kept inside his house in his formative years caused him to take a more formal approach to life. It wasn't until he started school that Thomas began to loosen up. When he finds common ground - typically on the topic of video games - Thomas will readily drop his walls and happily geek out.

Backstory: Early on in his life, Thomas was diagnosed with albinism, causing his parents to be a little more protective of him versus his older sister. For much of his childhood, Thomas was kept inside to keep him away from the sun and from the threat of skin cancer. This led Thomas to spend a good deal of time in front of his family's' computer and he became enamored with video games.

As he grew up, Thomas found himself drawn into the world of gaming more and more. Anytime he wasn't at home, Thomas could be found in the school computer lab or the local arcades; always trying to nail that tricky combo or figure out that solo in Guitar Hero. For his eighth birthday, his parents decided to splurge and bought him a copy of a new fighting game called Rift Warriors. After popping the game in one time... Thomas was hooked. In the following years, Thomas became a big fan of the Rift Warriors franchise. He attended launch events for the new entries, moderated an internet forum discussing the lore of the Rift and "The Messenger", and he even founded a Rift Warriors club at his high school where they played the games in addition to studying the history associated with the various fighters!

As for the competitive scene, Thomas is currently regarded as #3 in the global rankings. He got an early start in the competitive scene thanks to small tournaments in his RW club. By the time Right Warriors V came out, Thomas was attending the bigger and more prestigious tournaments across Britain, and he was WINNING them! Over the course of the next three entries, Thomas would rise up to being recognized as the #1 player in the U.K. While most people only ever knew him by his player tag, HellfireRider, he'd managed to develop a social circle with a few fans and competitors in his home country. It was only after Rift Warriors VIII was released that Thomas attended his first international tournament; quickly shooting up the ranks and landing in the top ten.

After the Rift Warriors X announcement, Thomas was shocked and intrigued by Masada's challenge and dedicated himself to earning one of the top five spots. Using his signature character, Jesse 'Ravager' Mitchell, Thomas shot up through the Rift Warriors IX leaderboard. He'd initially only been aiming for the fifth place spot just to get a copy, but found the battle to the top to be more exciting than he anticipated, causing him to play even harder than normal. As a result, Thomas landed as third best in the world.


Rift Warrior Character: Jesse 'Ravager' Mitchell

Debut: Rift Warriors II, but he had a cameo as a secret boss in Rift Warriors I to tease the sequel

Rift Warrior Backstory: In the Old West, there were few outlaws more feared than Jesse Mitchell. Nicknamed "The Ravager", Jesse had garnered a reputation for robbing, and subsequently razing, settlements to the ground. A former sheriff, Jesse turned in his badge when his fellow townspeople sold him out to a band of outlaws in order to save their own skins. Jesse was tortured by the gang for several days until one night after a particularly wild drunken party, Jesse managed to steal the key to his handcuffs and subsequently murder each of his tormentors. With nothing but blind fury fueling him, Jesse returned to his town only to hunt down each townsperson who had turned him over and setting the town ablaze.

With blood on his hands, Jesse turned to the life of an outlaw. Over the next several years, many a poor soul would meet their end at the hands of Jesse's black 1873 Winchester Rifle. An untold number of settlements were destroyed by Jesse and his gang as they roamed the territories. Eventually, the Ravager was brought to justice when one of the captured gang members leaked the location of Jesse's hideout in Utah to lighten his prison sentence. A posse was formed and sent out with orders to bring Jesse back dead or alive. A firefight ensued and Jesse was critically injured by a wayward bullet. As he lay on the desert floor dying, Jesse was pulled into the Rift. The Messenger saved Jesse's life, and offered him a chance to return home should he win the tournament.

Right Warrior Powers: The Rift has had some... unique effects on Jesse to say the least. As he was the only character to arrive while dying, his body is in a sort of limbo state between life and death. As a result, he can switch between a human façade, or his skeletal face he uses while fighting.

In terms of powers, Jesse has gained the ability to manipulate fire and sand, the tools of destruction in the desert. Jesse uses these powers to deadly effectiveness by setting his skeleton ablaze to burn his enemies should they get too close. With sand, Jesse can create fierce, scorching sandstorms to stun his enemies and act as barriers to keep them at bay. In addition to manipulating the elements, he can also imbue them into items. Jesse still carries his black Winchester Rifle, which has gone on to become one of the series' most iconic weapons. Jesse can shoot from across the field and his flaming bullets pierce through armor and flesh alike.

Other:
- In terms of playstyle, Jesse has been referred to as the "Distance Demon" by the fanbase. His attacks are largely focused on long-distance fighting. Namely, he uses his rifle as his main weapon and his sand attacks provide safe barriers from which to fire.
- Other weapons in Jesse's arsenal include: a fiery lasso, bundles of dynamite, and sidearm revolver which he primarily uses for pistol-whipping at close range.
- Jesse's ultimate is a reference to old cowboy movies where the fighters appear in a western-style "shootout"

Player Name: Ellen Carmichael

Faceclaim:


Nationality: British

Age: 23

Personality: Passionate and hot-headed, Ellen throws herself full-force into anything she sets her mind on. It's extremely difficult to dissuade her. Over the years, she's forgotten what it's like to participate in challenges for fun, treating them as serious undertakings instead. Any playful banter is reserved for before a match begins. While she treats fellow gamers respectfully, her overly invested attitude and tendency to overstrategise can make her difficult to get along with.

Backstory: Ellen's love of video games began at an early age. As a child, she'd frequently play competitive games against her sister Eva, and her school friends. This caused no small amount of conflict with her parents, who were old-fashioned, believing there were more valid activities. Accusing her of wasting her potential, they discouraged her beloved games, and pressured her into sports.

Although she resented this at first, Ellen discovered she had a talent for gymnastics. She channeled her former love of gaming into athletic competitions, winning several medals throughout her teenage years. However, when she was 17, a severe knee injury put an end to her career path. Even after rehabilitation allowed her to function normally day to day, and do light exercise, she was never able to pull off the moves she once used to.

What saved her from the depression she fell into was taking up her true favourite activity once again - gaming. To her, it was just as valid a form of competition as sport, although her parents didn't see it that way. They never said they were proud of her again. Ellen decided she'd prove them, and others like them, wrong. Hence her participation in tournaments.

Over the next few years, she climbed up the ranks. So, when Rift Warriors X was announced, she knew she had to fight to the top and get her hands on a copy, to make a point. Upon making it into the top five, she was overjoyed, but when she announced the news to her family, something Eva bluntly said made her stop and think.

"What's the point of winning a copy if you're not going to enjoy it?"

Nonsense, Ellen replied, of course she'd enjoy it. To which Eva was quick to point out that Ellen no longer played games like she used to. She took them much too seriously, and played to prove herself rather than to have fun. These words struck a nerve, but Ellen insisted this wasn't the case. Suspecting that her sister may be jealous, she promised to let her play during visits.

When Ellen booted up the game, though, she discovered it was more worth taking seriously than any other. For reasons she hadn't expected.

Rift Warrior Character: Princess Sitra

Rift Warrior Faceclaim:


Debut: Rift Warriors III

Rift Warrior Backstory: An ancient Egyptian warrior princess who commanded armies against Hyksos invaders. Known for her wildcat-like grace and strength, she sucessfully led battles that drove away the nation's enemies. However, one battle turned out even more of a brutal struggle than most, with heavy losses on both sides. Just as Sitra and her army were gaining the upper hand, she was dragged into the Rift. With no idea what became of her troops or her nation, she's single-mindedly determined to win the tournament and return home.

Rift Warrior Powers: Sitra was granted traits of the animal most sacred to the ancient Egyptians - a cat. While fighting, she gains feline ears and a tail. She has considerable agility, able to leap to great heights and attack in midair.

Since the cat goddesses Bastet and Sekhmet are connected to Ra and considered solar deities, some of Sitra's abilities are light based. She can grow six-inch-long hardlight claws, which she uses for a flurry of strikes. When she raises her shield, she can briefly create a solid light barrier, resembling a much larger shield with a lion's head motif at the centre. This barrier's weaknesses are its cooldown period of several seconds, and its inability to block attacks from behind. Her low defensive stats mean this has to be used at exactly the right moment.

Finally, she's able to enter a super mode, which buffs her strength and speed. In this mode, her ears and tail become lion-like, and she becomes surrounded by a golden aura. This lasts for ten seconds, and has a cooldown period of thirty.

Playstyle: Sitra is all about timing and precision. Since her HP and defense are nothing to write home about, she relies on her strength and agility, as well as fast reflexes on the part of the player. It's a matter of deciding when to use certain abilities - timed well, they can be devastating.

Her fighting style consists of either attacking from a distance with her two javelins, or quickly closing in, striking and leaping aside. When she throws a javelin, it vanishes and reappears at her belt shortly afterwards.

Other: Ellen adores cats, which is why she usually plays as Sitra. While cats may give her haughty looks from time to time, they don't judge in the same way humans do.

When she was getting back into gaming, she used to cosplay as Sitra at conventions, although her days of doing silly fun things are behind her.