[h3]NPCs[/h3] [b][u]Allies[/u][/b]: [indent]Rhodes Island:[list] [*][hider=Jericho] [center][h1][color=a187be]Jericho[/color][/h1][img]https://i.ibb.co/6HXzgH6/image5.png[/img] [i]“Dr. Kal’tsit, I have come to answer the call. What? Late? Well, you’re not wrong. I didn’t believe in you back then. What changed my mind? Desperation and a desire for absolution.”[/i] [color=f7941d][h1]★★★★★★[/h1][/color] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/50x50/public/2021-04/logo_columbia.png?itok=yWXZO-9b[/img][img]https://i.ibb.co/QMnXF7D/60.png[/img][img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/50x50/public/2021-09/sub_artsprotector_icon.png?itok=0l5UZgA8[/img][/center][table][row][/row][cell][indent][h3][b][color=a187be]Operator Profile[/color][/b][/h3][/indent]_______________________________________ [b][u]Codename[/u][/b]: Jericho [b][u]Epithet[/u][/b]: The Lonely Orchestra [b][u]Real Name[/u][/b]: Selim Yunus [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 68 [b][u]Class[/u][/b]: Defender [b][u]Branch[/u][/b]: Arts Protector [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Aegir [b][u]Affiliations[/u][/b]: Columbia [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 220cm [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 140kg [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Date of Birth[/u][/b]: February 20 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Combat Experience[/u][/b]: 10 years [/cell][cell][INDENT][h3][b][color=a187be]Clinical Analysis[/color][/b][/h3][/INDENT]______________________________________________________________________ [b][u]Strength[/u][/b]: Normal [b][u]Endurance[/u][/b]: Excellent [b][u]Mobility[/u][/b]: Flawed [b][u]Arts Adaptability[/u][/b]: Outstanding [b][u]Combat Skill[/u][/b]: Normal [b][u]Tactical Acumen[/u][/b]: Excellent [b][u]Infection Status[/u][/b]: Infected [indent]Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected, with the clear exception of Originium nodules localized to the throat. Throat nodules are responsible for the rough, gravelly timbre of the operator's natural voice. The operator can change his voice using arts, but that is not recommended as this may exacerbate the growth of the nodules. At this time, this operator is confirmed to be infected.[/indent] [b][u]Cell-Originium Assimilation[/u][/b]: 5% [b][u]Blood Originium-Crystal Density[/u][/b]: 0.01u/L[/cell][/table] [b][u]Character Synopsis[/u][/b]:[indent]A retired weapon designer and war profiteer seeking atonement and a chance to reconnect with his spiritual roots.[/indent] [b][u]Personality[/u][/b]:[indent]Jericho is the kind of person who talks to distract himself from things he’d rather not think about. This makes him come off as friendly, knowledgeable, and oftentimes, even a little arrogant. Despite how much of a risk it is to seek employment with Rhodes Island, Jericho is actually rather risk-averse, preferring careful planning to reckless operations. Despite having a difficult childhood, life in Columbia and success in his field have made Jericho accustomed to luxury and comfort, and can become irritable when denied these things. Above all, Jericho is introspective and spiritual. He recognizes the harm his work has caused and seeks atonement. And having sought science his whole life and divorcing himself from his ‘backwards’ ancestry, he has now turned his thoughts towards seeking a higher power through the hidden traditions of his fathers. However, he keeps his quiet moments to himself so as not to betray his cheerful facade. Business in Columbia has numbed Jericho’s ability to empathize with the less fortunate or those of lower position. He therefore has the unfortunate tendency to fall back into looking at everything as numbers, as assets (a habit from his research days), and is trying very hard to connect with those who may be risking their lives or caught in the collateral of their work so as not to view anyone as expendable.[/indent][table][cell][indent][h3][b][color=a187be]Talents[/color][/b][/h3][/indent][/cell][cell][INDENT][h3][b][color=a187be]Talent Description[/color][/b][/h3][/INDENT][/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Sound Engineer[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2021-11/skill_icon_skchr_serum_1.png?itok=vPwYQlY7[/img][/cell][cell]Jericho is a professionally trained engineer who had previously worked for a successful Columbian weapons technology company. He has deep insight when it comes to electronics, particularly speakers and microphones, and understands the wave functions necessary to drive them. His understanding of cymatics means that he can tune his equipment to alter the local sonic environment to resonate with his allies’ sound-based abilities, boosting their efficacy. He can also identify a material’s resonant frequency after successive strikes, allowing him to use that frequency to shatter his opponents’ equipment. [/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Organized Discipline[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2019-11/skill_icon_skchr_swire_1.png?itok=1IM_H_6g[/img][/cell][cell]Jericho has professional experience leading a team of fellow engineers, and the main thing he learned was to always stay organized and to document everything. Jericho thus lacks the disorganized eccentricity of ‘mad scientists’-types like Closure, focusing on cost-benefit analysis, resource availability, and setting realistic, achievable goals rather than hare-brained schemes and risky hypotheses. This allows Jericho to be a master of infrastructure, setting a foundation from which more audacious moves can be made by his more daring colleagues. Jericho is observant, analytical, and methodical, and applies these skills to the upkeep of Rhodes Island, as well as to his combat strategies.[/cell] [row][/row][cell][indent][h3][b][color=a187be]Skills[/color][/b][/h3][/indent][/cell][cell][INDENT][h3][b][color=a187be]Skill Description[/color][/b][/h3][/INDENT][/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Sound-Based Originium Arts[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2021-11/skill_icon_skchr_indigo_2.png?itok=fRKsCG-u[/img][/cell][cell]Operator Jericho possesses special Originium Arts with the affinity of sound and vibrations. This is likely due to his Aegirian ancestry. His father was apparently an Emergency Aid Building technician in Iberia, and it seems Jericho took an interest in the science of sound at an early age, and pursued it throughout his education. With his arts, Jericho is able to mimic voices and sounds, perform uncanny feats of ventriloquism, and amplify the power and intensity of sounds and vibrations. He can even release echolocation pings to navigate in darkness or locate stealthed objects. This also implies that he has unnaturally good hearing. [/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Surveillance and Misdirection[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2019-11/skill_icon_skchr_swire_2.png?itok=7JebwnKN[/img][/cell][cell]Selim has designed a 'noisy cricket' drone with intricate sound equipment, capable of detecting and emitting all types of sounds. This allows the drone to operate as threat detection, surveillance, and scouting by running sonar sweeps, as well as aid in civilian evacuation or team communication procedures through making announcements. It can also be used to divert or distract threats by causing sounds to get enemies' attention. The drone can also harmonize with Selim's sound based attacks, enhancing the damage Selim does to enemies around the drone's location.[/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Cymatic Barrier[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2020-07/skill_icon_sktok_tower.png?itok=DomqV6Zj[/img][/cell][cell]Selim activates his shield, which projects a 3-meter wide wall of sound in front of him. Enemies that try to pass through start having their internals vibrated rapidly, receiving arts damage and defense debuffs (similar to corrosion). The pain is such a deterrent that most people's first instinct is to move out of and away from the wall as fast as possible. This is a technology referred to as an Active Denial System.[/cell][/table][indent][h3][b][color=a187be]Equipment Module[/color][/b][/h3][hr][hider=Israfil][center][img]https://i.ibb.co/D5wHb5r/latest.png[/img][/center][/hider][/indent] [list][*][u][b]Armor[/b][/u]: Sound system built into armor, including sonar readouts. [*][u][b]LRAD Shield (Israfil)[/b][/u]: Sound system built into shield, including Active Denial System. LRAD stands for long-range acoustic device. [*][u][b]Vibro-Blade (Tuning Fork)[/b][/u]: Vibrates at adjustable frequencies, detects the sound produced when it strikes another object. Sound data is fed back into the armor to determine resonant harmonic frequency of the object being struck, allowing the frequency to be used to further weaken the object on further application. [*][u][b]Drone (Noisy Cricket)[/b][/u]: A drone that flies around and makes noise or detects sounds.[/list] [h3][b][indent][color=a187be]Operator Archives[/color][/indent][/b][/h3][indent][hider=50% trust is required to view this file]Selim’s family lived a simple life in Sargon, but infighting between the Lord Ameers and the Columbian corporations that sought to profit from the conflict forced them to evacuate to Iberia. Music was prevalent in Selim’s family. Back in Sargon, he remembered that his parents often had these little tunes and melodies in a foreign language for every little thing. It came as no surprise that Selim became musically inclined, especially singing and voice manipulation, and he demonstrated, from a young age, a knack for sound-based originium arts. He would often play pranks on his friends, pretending to be other people, or tricking them into thinking he was elsewhere by throwing his voice. He learned that he could take hold of the family radio and manipulate the sound coming from it by affecting the arts unit within using his own arts. However, in Iberia, one time Selim had been overheard singing the songs of his parents, which prompted a sudden visit to their house from an inquisitor. Fortunately the inquisitor was merciful, but the warning was apparent, and Selim’s parents stopped singing after that, and encouraged him to follow suit.[/hider] [hider=100% trust is required to view this file]In Iberia, Selim’s father became an Emergency Aid Building technician. Selim learned that his family was originally from Iberia, but that they had left for Sargon due to not wanting to live somewhere where the Sankta religion was so prevalent, but it was never fully explained why to Selim, and they eventually returned to Iberia anyways when the instability in Sargon became too great. Taking an interest in his father’s work, Selim sought to become an engineer as well, which was highly encouraged as it could lead to financial success and wealth. Selim’s ambitions led him to Columbia, where he received his education, and began working for a company that developed ‘non-lethal’ weapons, a great place to apply his knowledge of sound. Selim swiftly climbed the ranks as someone who was willing to put his morals aside for personal gain, and it didn’t phase him when the weapons he helped develop were tested in his homeland of Sargon, and later deployed by heavily militarized police forces to suppress the poor and infected.[/hider] [hider=150% trust is required to view this file]Selim’s company had a flair for the dramatic, and pushed for sensational demonstrations of their technology that bordered on dangerous. When it came to his inventions, Selim only trusted himself to really sell their capabilities to the customer, so he trained with the weapons and armor he developed in order to pull off amazing stunts that would ‘wow’ their clients, such as stopping a charging burdenbeast in its tracks using only the sound emitted from his shield. Due to the nature of his inventions, Selim became a liaison to the police departments of various Columbian cities. To better cater his inventions towards their needs, he needed to understand their combat style as well as the tactics they employed when it came to ‘pacifying dissidents’. Therefore, he received training from the police, not only in combat, but particularly in defensive tactics, since police primarily fought from, and held, advantageous positions. Thanks to his impressive physique, he even sometimes took commissions and served his clients as a mercenary on some of their operations as an extreme version of a tech demo and weapons testing run. This even got to the point where he was recommended to the Columbian military, and Selim did a short tour in his homeland of Sargon. He should have felt something, but the allure of dangerous knowledge and the indulgence in luxuries and creature comforts had blinded him to where his profits were coming from and the people that were harmed in his pursuit of riches.[/hider] [hider=200% trust is required to view this file]Early in Selim’s career, Dr. Kal’tsit was making the rounds in Columbia, looking for support and for capable people to recruit. Selim had scoffed at her proposals and dismissed her outright. However, decades later, it came to light that the company that Selim worked for had been carrying out unethical experimentation and acting like a paramilitary organization. While this was not unusual for Columbian companies, the scandal got too big to contain, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Arts Units and Originium had to shut down the company to maintain public order and quell further investigations which could implicate the politicians involved. Selim was blacklisted and unable to find employment at any of the other major notable tech companies. He also realized that he had gotten infected from working closely with originium devices; the company had cut corners when it came to safety equipment. Having dedicated his life to corporate greed, he returned to Iberia a broken man. At the very least, he had sent money home so that his parents could live comfortable lives. In his retirement, Selim’s father had dedicated himself to translating some ancient Aegir scriptures. Seeing his son in this aimless state, he handed the translated book to Selim and urged him to read it. Selim was struck with a sudden sense of purpose, and spent a long time reconnecting with his family, learning about his people’s history, their beliefs, and the effect that imperial forces had on their way of life. He remembered Kal’tsit’s visit and her impossible, unprofitable dream. Seeking atonement and a chance to actually do something good with what remained of his life, he sought out Rhodes Island.[/hider][/indent] [b][u]Trivia[/u][/b]:[list][*]Theme:[indent][hider=Brynhildr in the Darkness][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOOVz055kfk[/youtube][/hider][/indent] [*]Voice Actor:[indent][hider=Ishizuka Unshou][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKTZ7QZ4mFk[/youtube][/hider][/indent] [*]Additional images:[indent][hider=Without the armor][img]https://i.ibb.co/KDhnf0s/image4.png[/img][/hider][/indent][*]Selim is an Aegir based on a whale, hence the sound-based abilities [*]Since Jericho’s infection is almost exclusively localized to his throat, he is trying an experimental treatment in which he inhales warm, aerosolized infection suppression medication on a regular basis through a device that resembles an E-Cig [*]Canonically, the Aegir are oppressed in Iberia, so I based Selim’s ‘lost culture’ on one of the many groups of people who were oppressed by the Spanish Inquisition, Muslims. I imply that Selim believes in a religion other than the Sankta religion, though he is reluctant to share any further details. [*]Selim's last name, “Yunus”, is the Arabic equivalent of Jonah, the prophet who was swallowed by a whale in the Abrahamic faiths. [*]Additional Quote: [i]“Some scientists theorize that all matter is just vibrating ‘strings’. So in a way, God really did ‘sing’ the world into existence.”[/i][/list] [/hider] [*][hider=Polka] [center][h1][color=00a651]Polka[/color][/h1][img]https://i.ibb.co/RhQsnf8/image03.jpg[/img] [i]“Y-you put down ‘Plague Requiem’ as my codename?! I-I don’t go by that any more… C-can we change it to… ’Polka’ instead?.”[/i] [color=f7941d][h1]★★★★★[/h1][/color] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/50x50/public/2021-04/logo_Leithanien.png?itok=PwjpnIJ0[/img][img]https://i.ibb.co/wzznMgr/supporter.png[/img][img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/50x50/public/2021-09/sub_bard_icon.png?itok=Lrz2gE91[/img][/center][table][row][/row][cell][indent][h3][b][color=00a651]Operator Profile[/color][/b][/h3][/indent]_______________________________________ [b][u]Codename[/u][/b]: Polka [b][u]Epithet[/u][/b]: Plague Requiem [b][u]Real Name[/u][/b]: Elise Chladni [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 36 [b][u]Class[/u][/b]: Supporter [b][u]Branch[/u][/b]: Bard [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Caprinae [b][u]Affiliations[/u][/b]: Leithanien [b][u]Height[/u][/b]: 152cm [b][u]Weight[/u][/b]: 54kg [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Leithanien [b][u]Date of Birth[/u][/b]: November 1 [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Combat Experience[/u][/b]: 0 years [/cell][cell][INDENT][h3][b][color=00a651]Clinical Analysis[/color][/b][/h3][/INDENT]______________________________________________________________________ [b][u]Strength[/u][/b]: Normal [b][u]Endurance[/u][/b]: Normal [b][u]Mobility[/u][/b]: Poor [b][u]Arts Adaptability[/u][/b]: Outstanding [b][u]Combat Skill[/u][/b]: Flawed [b][u]Tactical Acumen[/u][/b]: Standard [b][u]Infection Status[/u][/b]: Non-Infected [indent]Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected. Originium granules have not been detected in the circulatory system and there is no sign of infection. At this time, this operator is believed to be uninfected.[/indent] [b][u]Cell-Originium Assimilation[/u][/b]: 0% [b][u]Blood Originium-Crystal Density[/u][/b]: 0.10u/L[/cell][/table] [b][u]Character Synopsis[/u][/b]:[indent]A wandering musician with a dark past, hoping to use the terrible arts she learned to heal instead of harm.[/indent] [b][u]Personality[/u][/b]:[indent]Elise gives off an air of refinement. She is lady-like, noble, and delicate. At least, that's how she'd like the world to see her. Born to a family of lesser Leithanien nobles, Elise has pretended all her life to present as higher than her station in an attempt to socialize her way up the hierarchy. Behind her seemingly gentle demeanor is someone who has done whatever it took to obtain her goals, and behind that is someone who seeks to atone for her past. As a former member of the Remnants, the cult of the Witch King, Elise is highly skeptical of, and sensitive to, secret societies. Elise sees when kindness and compassion are being used merely as bargaining chips, and often questions overly-charitable acts. In front of the infected, Elise may come off as fake and insincere; she is still grappling with the things she'd done in the past and is trying very hard, perhaps too hard, to show kindness towards the infected. This is often expressed as unwanted physical contact as she tries to 'prove' that she is no longer ignorant and is aware that one cannot contract oripathy simply by touching an infected. Still, her desire to help the infected is genuine, and her research into repurposing the heinous arts practiced by the Remnants has shown promising results.[/indent][table][cell][indent][h3][b][color=00a651]Talents[/color][/b][/h3][/indent][/cell][cell][INDENT][h3][b][color=00a651]Talent Description[/color][/b][/h3][/INDENT][/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Remnant Requiem[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2022-12/skill_icon_skchr_erato_1-2.png?itok=BhXjrY-j[/img][/cell][cell]By channeling her arts through music, operator Polka can use the originium crystal clusters inside of the bodies of infected and use them as arts units. Doing so can rapidly accelerate the infection, so she no longer uses this skill in this manner. Instead, she is learning to use this skill to decelerate infection and is hoping to use this ability to develop a cure for oripathy. As a side effect, her arts resonate better with infected operators, increasing their beneficial effects.[/cell][row][/row][cell][indent][h3][b][color=00a651]Skills[/color][/b][/h3][/indent][/cell][cell][INDENT][h3][b][color=00a651]Skill Description[/color][/b][/h3][/INDENT][/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Oktoberfest[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2021-01/IrisS2.png?itok=s_IdNChf[/img][/cell][cell]Polka plays a high tempo song that increases allied operators' movement speed, natural regeneration, attack speed, and attack power.[/cell][row][/row][cell][u]Walpurgisnacht[/u] [img]https://gamepress.gg/arknights/sites/arknights/files/styles/thumbnail/public/2021-05/KTS3.png?itok=F0KXxc7M[/img][/cell][cell]In desperation and with consent, Polka can play a song that increases allied operator's arts capabilities. However, for infected operators, the song causes their health to deteriorate, but their arts capabilities increase several fold. Polka will stop before the song kills her allies and attempt to heal them afterwards.[/cell][/table][indent][h3][b][color=00a651]Equipment Module[/color][/b][/h3][hr][hider=Gotterfunken][center][img]https://i.ibb.co/TKm55w4/1200px-Accord-C3-A9on-diatonique.png[/img][/center][/hider][/indent] [list][*][u][b]Gotterfunken[/b][/u]: Polka's trusty accordion; more than a musical instrument, it is an arts unit. [/list][color=00a651][indent][h3][b]Operator Archives[/b][/h3][/indent][/color][indent][hider=50% trust is required to view this file]Elise was born to a lower noble house in Leithanien. Her family focused on how the higher nobles looked down on and ridiculed her family, while ignoring the privileges they enjoyed compared to commoners. Elise was pushed to excel in the arts, taking, as many nobles do, to music. But no matter her skill, her standing and treatment from higher nobility never improved.[/hider] [hider=100% trust is required to view this file]Disgruntled, it was easy for Elise to fall in with those who would prey upon her vulnerability, those who criticized the current nobility for their complacency under the Twin Empresses, who called back to Leithanien's greatness under the Witch King. The Remnants promised Elise glory and power, a chance to rise above her station by serving Leithanien's one true king, and to improve her arts and musical ability at the same time. Though Elise did not find the political aspect attractive, she saw it as an impossible dream, and thought she was using the Remnants for her own benefit by having them teach her 'forbidden' arts. But the deeper she delved into such skills, the more she found herself losing her way.[/hider] [hider=150% trust is required to view this file]Donning her mask and cloak, Elise slowly became one of the Remnants, following their pogroms throughout the countryside, hunting down infected and using them in heinous experiments. She justified her actions by reminding herself that infected did not have long to live, so their short lives were better served advancing their knowledge of arts and originium. The fact was that she was in too deep and enjoyed the personal benefits that this twisted brotherhood brought her. This secret society worked behind the scenes and nobles in high places would recommend or promote her, while quietly letting her know that they too were members, and that they were all looking out for one another. On the flip side, she didn't know how closely she was being watched or who would come after her if she ever decided that enough was enough.[/hider] [hider=200% trust is required to view this file]One evening, Elise was paying a close friend a visit, but her friend was distraught. Her friend explained that her young cousin from the countryside was also visiting but had gone missing. Being from a branch family, this cousin did not enjoy the privileges of a noble life, though the two families remained affectionate. This cousin had the misfortune of getting infected recently and came to the city specifically to receive treatment that only the noble side of the family could afford. As Elise's friend continued to provide her with details of her cousin, Elise's disgust mounted. The cousin had gone missing the same time the Remnants had picked up an infected child for their experiments, and the physical description matched. Elise had been the one performing the experiments until the child's body could no longer take any more. Promising to find the child, Elise left her friend's home, walking on shaky legs. That night changed Elise forever, burdening her with a sin and guilt that she knew could never be truly absolved. Remembering the medicine that her friend had intended to give to her cousin, Elise sought out Rhodes Island.[/hider][/indent] [b][u]Trivia[/u][/b]:[list][*]Theme[indent][hider=Ringabel's Theme - Bravely Default OST][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-0u5ikKKRY[/youtube][/hider][/indent] [*]Polka is inspired by ancient Germanic witchcraft. For example she has a skill named [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpurgis_Night]Walpurgisnacht[/url]. Halloween takes place in October, so I gave her other skill the name Oktoberfest. Her birthday, Nov 1, is also the day after Halloween, which Halloween is the 'eve' of. Being a date with three repeating numbers (111), it has magical significance. [*]Additional Quote: [i]“It might be tone-deaf of me to say this, but I can turn your infection from a curse into a blessing.”[/i] [*]Polka's first name, Elise, is taken from Beethoven's Fur Elise. her last name is taken from [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Chladni]Ernst Chladni[/url].[/list][/hider] [*][url=https://arknights.fandom.com/wiki/Earthspirit]Earthspirit[/url] [*][url=https://arknights.fandom.com/wiki/Minimalist]Minimalist[/url][/list] Sargon:[list][*][hider=Baltasar El-Kabti][img]https://i.ibb.co/gys1dYz/image1.png[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Baltasar El-Kabti [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Rebbah (Jackal) [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 19 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]A young man living in the oasis of Hisn-ul-Zahra, he works part-time at Rhodes Island's infected pediatric care center, taking care of the children. One of the children has gone missing, and he is imploring the operators for help.[/indent][/hider] [*][hider=Nur Alexandros][img]https://i.ibb.co/C8fjC2c/1690219639040547484796644932522.jpg[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Nur Alexandros [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Liberi (Falcon) [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 12 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]An infected orphan who has recently gone missing.[/indent][/hider] [*][hider=Lady Ameera Zainab Nubani][img]https://i.ibb.co/Bq2166S/Ammit-devourer-of-the-dead-in-ancient-Egyptian-religion.jpg[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Zainab Nubani [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Archosauria [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 56 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]The Lady Ameera of Hisn-ul-Zahra, Zainab saw how her fellow Lord Ameers were selling long-term success for short-term gains by accepting help from foreign powers and how such meddling was destabilizing the land, making Sargon a site for proxy wars of imperial powers. Though Zainab does not fantasize about 'returning Sargon to its former glory', she does hope that the people of Sargon can stand strong, united, independent, and free from the clutches of those who seek only to exploit them. It is for this reason that she has partnered with Rhodes Island, and this decision has allowed Hisn-ul-Zahra to bloom. The nearby jungle of Acahualla became a booming city of commerce and technology, thanks to Chieftan Inam's commerce-minded policies and the refugee Durin population that migrated there after the Zeruertza incident. Zainab learned of this from Rhodes Island and seized on this opportunity to begin trading with Acahualla, bringing magnificent, automated, engineering marvels to Hisn-ul-Zahra.[/indent][/hider] [*][hider=Sentinel Aisha Hafiz][img]https://i.ibb.co/xYBVyh6/Cat.jpg[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Aisha Hafiz [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Feline [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 34 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Sargon [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]Lady Ameera Zainab's right-hand woman, Aisha keeps the peace in Hisn-ul-Zahra. Aisha is a no-nonsense person; where Zainab offers the carrot, pledging prosperity to those who contribute to the city, Aisha is the stick, promising to punish those who disrupt the harmony. But she is amicable enough to those who obey the rules.[/indent][/hider][/list] Zeruertza:[list][*][url=https://arknights.fandom.com/wiki/Catch_Lightrace]Catch Lightrace[/url][/list] Acahualla:[list][*][url=https://arknights.fandom.com/wiki/Inam]Inam[/url][/list][/indent] [u][b]Adversaries[/b][/u]:[indent] Columbia:[list][*][hider=Dr. Kathleen Cross][img]https://i.ibb.co/jbgQZWW/labcat.png[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Dr. Kathleen Cross [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Feline [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 28 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Columbia [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Columbia (Trimounts) [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]An up-and-coming researcher from Trimounts Institute of Technology, Kathleen is narrow-minded and caught up in the rat-race of academia. She is somewhat disillusioned that quality of research alone does not earn recognition and has reluctantly turned towards nurturing her connections to get a leg up. After a fateful meeting with a famous scientist from a notable research institute, Kathleen finds herself scouring the deserts of Sargon, being dragged along by a mercenary group hired to protect her, looking for some 'ancient energy source'. The whole thing sounds like a stupid treasure hunt, but if this is what it takes to get ahead in Columbia, then she'd be a fool not to push on.[/indent][/hider] [*][hider=Joanna Cooper][img]https://i.ibb.co/hZJS61F/image0.png[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Joanna Cooper [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Pythian (Rattlesnake) [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 38 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Bolivar [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Columbia (ASPS) [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]Leader of the mercenary band, ASPS (Acquisition, Security, and Protection Services), Joanna is a ruthless hunter with a reputation for secrecy and getting the job done, no matter the obstacle. Joanna considers Kathleen's presence a liability to the mission, but begrudgingly acquiesces to bringing her along, as the pay for doing so was a handsome amount. Hiring ASPS is considered a last ditch, desperate act, since their rates are exorbitant and their wanton acts of violence in pursuit of their missions have painted an international target on their backs. But since ASPS has never been caught nor have its members ever revealed their clients, their clients can keep their hands clean of the atrocities they paid for. Joanna has the uncanny ability to strike fear into the hearts of her opponents.[/indent][/hider][/list] Leithanien:[list][*][hider=Count Geert Van De Graaf][img]https://i.ibb.co/0QJT8qQ/image0.jpg[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Count Geert Van De Graaf [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Caprinae [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 53 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Leithanien [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Leithanien (Spire Casters) [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]A count loyal to the Twin Empresses of Leithanien, Geert yet believes that Leithanien's might lies in her arts superiority, as was true during the time of the Witch King. A researcher and tinkerer in his own right, Geert's affinity for electrical arts has allowed him to develop various useful devices that have yet to see wide usage, but may revolutionize communication if they did. Geert believes he is an altruist, and the question of the infected is a difficult question without a good answer. He feels that a good life is one lived in service of the nation and wishes to provide this 'good life' to others.[/indent][/hider] [*][hider=Tyrfing][img]https://i.ibb.co/3WQ1pPr/image01.jpg[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Helmut Skikjoring [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Caprinae [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 26 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Leithanien [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Leithanien [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]Helmut is Count Van De Graaf's loyal retainer who feels more like a son, having been picked up by the Count as an orphan. Every Leithanien of standing practices some form of art, and Helmut's is fencing. This combined with the Laplace Engine, the electronic data analysis device developed by Geert that Helmut wears as a mask, makes him a formidable opponent.[/indent][/hider][/list] Victoria:[list][*][hider=Warren Irving][img]https://i.ibb.co/vs1VdrS/16902195962746909633740502074193.jpg[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Dr. Warren Irving (PhD. in Sargonology) [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Cautus (Vienna Blue) [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Male [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 17 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Rim Billiton [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Victoria (Victorian Archeological Guild) [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]A young polymath tasked with the study and acquisition of ancient Sargonian artifacts. He does not think of what his organization is doing as 'stealing' since the artifacts have been buried for so long that they do not 'belong' to anyone. Besides, he knows that such artifacts also often conceal hidden power, and it is better that they fall into careful, knowledgeable, Victorian hands, instead of the hands of the bickering Lords Ameer who would surely abuse the artifact's power. However, given the recent instability in Victoria, his guild is underfunded and understaffed, so Warren is willing to strike a deal so that he can get to his objective faster than anyone else who may be racing towards the prize he seeks. Calling a cautus 'cute' is considered a micro-aggression; tread carefully. Warren hates it when anyone abbreviates the Victorian Archeological Guild as 'VAG'.[/indent][/hider] [*][hider=Sergeant Emma Huxley][img]https://i.ibb.co/9Ybs7D6/Dog.jpg[/img] [b][u]Name[/u][/b]: Emma Huxley [b][u]Race[/u][/b]: Perro (Husky) [b][u]Gender[/u][/b]: Female [b][u]Age[/u][/b]: 27 [b][u]Place of Birth[/u][/b]: Sami [b][u]Affiliation[/u][/b]: Victoria [b][u]Background[/u][/b]:[indent]A member of Victoria's Military Police, Emma has been assigned to protect Dr. Irvine in his search for Sargonian relics. Though she does not trust ancient technology, she recognizes their power and hopes that their quest can restore Victoria to her former glory. Emma is professional, regimented, does everything by the book, and cannot stand underhanded tactics.[/indent][/hider][/list][/indent] [h3]Locations[/h3] [img]https://i.ibb.co/V2621hB/image.png[/img] [list][*][u][b]Hisn-ul-Zahra[/b][/u]:[indent]Literally translated as Flower Bastion, Hisn-ul-Zahra is the name of an oasis in the Sargon desert as well as the nomadic city that frequently parks near it. It is located to the west of the Acahuallan Jungle and trades with Acahualla for the technology brought by the Zeruertzan Durin refugees. This is where our story begins.[/indent] [*][u][b]Acahualla[/b][/u]:[indent]A jungle to the west of Sargon inhabited by a tribe of Archosauria. Since several of their chief members have joined Rhodes Island, Acahualla has a strong partnership with the pharmaceutical company. There is a nearby cave that leads underground and connects to the Durin city of Zeruertza. Due to the encroachment of originium veins into Zeruertza several years ago, the Durin population evacuated to Acahualla, bringing their technology with them and turning Acahaulla into a tech and trade hub.[/indent] [*][u][b]Zeruertza[/b][/u]:[indent]An underground Durin city, abandoned due to the encroachment of originium veins several years ago. Its inhabitants constructed a great elevator to the surface and have made Acahualla their new home. The Durin of Zeruertza are on good terms with Rhodes Island, as one of their greatest architects, Stitch Canvas, has joined Rhodes Island as an operator.[/indent][/list]