Name: Sartorius Altissima Age: 35 Gender: Male Nationality: Westerian Appearance:
Sartorius still wears the dark robes indicative of his former rank as a Westerian Secret Weapons Research Officer. Sartorius has burgundy hair and wears a monocle. His skin is unnaturally pale, and he is unhealthily gaunt, to the point of emaciation.
History:
Sartorius is the third son in the noble house of Altissima. Knowing that he had very little to inherit from his family, he pursued knowledge, seeking to gain renown and wealth by rising through the ranks of academia. Fascinated with Magecha, Sartorius went into military research. Though he applauded the Iron Arcana and their ability to allow non-magicians to pilot, he also saw value in continuing to push the boundaries of what mage-piloted Magecha could be capable of. Specifically, he wanted to learn the secrets of extracting monster hearts and using them to power Magecha the way the Egriffin Empire did. Of course, monster hearts we're not easy to come by, and in the spirit of mass production, Sartorius wondered if animal hearts could work as a weaker, but more abundant replacement. It also gave him an endless supply of creatures to test the heart-extraction procedure on. In the mean time he engaged in other fields of Magech research, going so far as to commission a suit for himself, and being part of the top secret child soldier program. As he got closer to perfecting his heart-extraction device, an accident occurred. He woke up, alive, with his pneuma heart extracted. Feeling extremely vulnerable and realizing that he was now a monster, and a subject worthy to be experimented on, he grabbed his partner and his Magech and escaped into the night. Now Sartorius seeks to continue his research and delve into the mysteries of the monsters and a possible way to cure his own predicament. For this reason he has wandered, looking for open-minded mercenary groups to provide his mechanical knowledge and combat abilities to, and in return, to receive funds and equipment to further his research. Word of such an unusual and desperate character eventually reached the ears of Valhalla.
Small in stature with dark skin, short cyan hair, and dead, dull red eyes, Rana's cold, piercing, critical gaze could cuddle milk. She wears simple, form-fitting clothing, usually a cream or off-white, and silver jewelry that covers the rims of her ears.
History:
A subject of Westeria's top secret child soldier program, Rana was an example of the program's potential for success. Properly conditioned and trained to be an efficient killing machine, Sartorius, eccentric nobleman that he was, took a liking to Rana, and commissioned a custom Lovers unit so that he could personally teach her, in a hands-on approach, Magech piloting. Rana took to piloting like a duck to water, and Sartorius became so dependent on her reliability and skill that she officially became his Magech partner and personal research assistant. When Sartorius fled, she went along wordlessly.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ {"For the sake of the people, I was chosen. For the sake of the kingdom, I was given strength."}
{"Now that the time has come to wield that strength, I will not hesitate. I am yours to command - use me as you see fit."} - Dialogue || #A2F0FF ||| Thoughts || #D00505 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Gisela stands at 5 feet, 3 inches and weighs 121 pounds. She is a short, doll-like albino girl who, despite her sickly complexion and small stature, has an intense sort of air about her. Her features are rather gaunt and angular, with prominent cheekbones, a sharply defined jawline, and a high brow. The mature and rather grim sort of look this gives her is only accentuated by the crimson eyepatch strapped over her right eye, which, if one looks closely, appears to be surgically wired into her eye socket, with faint bluish-gray patterns of what appear to be circuits extending outward from around its edges and into the surrounding skin. The surface of the patch is, upon a closer examination, split diagonally across the center seam, which can fold back to reveal a red, crystalline lens beneath it, rimmed with runic symbols chiseled into the metal. Her visible left eye is only slightly less unsettling, as it is a deep crimson in color, and is frequently both bloodshot and framed by dark bags that are only partly concealed by her long, gray-tinted eyelashes. She seldom, if ever, wears any sort of makeup, and as such shows all the slight flaws and imperfections that other women her age would doubtless spare no expense to hide. Although she does at least go to the effort to keep her long, silvery hair clean, it is nevertheless perpetually messy and unkempt, with its slightly curly, matted locks often found clumsily strained into a loose, flowing braid.
Nevertheless, her face also hasn't entirely lost some of its more childish aspects. Her cheeks, in particular, are rather round, still clinging to some of their old baby fat. There are even slight dimples in them that would no doubt draw more attention to themselves, if only she'd smile just a little bit. Her lips, likewise, are rather full and red, hiding behind them rows of pristine white teeth. All in all, despite the ruin wrought upon some of her features by the treatments she has been subjected to, Gisela still retains a mysterious sort of appeal, although calling her a beauty - even if an unkempt or ruined one - would perhaps be too much of a stretch. Regardless, however, this mix of youthful and adult features does make it rather difficult to place her exact age at a glance, since she looks like she could be anywhere between her early teens and her early twenties.
Her build is somewhat thin and wiry, and could charitably be called "dainty," or uncharitably called "scrawny." Most of what little mass she has is made up by her limbs, but she does have some meat on her bones - a more recent addition to her once famished physique, by the look of it. And, although late to bloom, she does have some more feminine curves, albeit more focused around her thin waist and wide hips than on her rather petite bust.
Her usual attire is rather eye-catching in the same way as she herself is - which is to say, it looks entirely strange and uncanny in normal society. She tends to favor light, simple clothing she can move easily in, and consequently is almost never seen outside of her pilot's suit - a form-fitting, aqua-colored sleeveless jumper made of some sort of compact, durable polymer, devoid of ornamentation save for a protective metal harness around the chest, a few green crystalline Pneuma regulators meant to interface with cockpit systems for channeling energy through a Magecha, and a protective plate over the crotch. She usually couples this garment with a set of matching arm warmers which end in fingerless gloves, but curiously, prefers not to wear the reinforced boots customarily found with the uniform whenever possible, leaving her feet bare. Even more curiously, despite her evident distaste for cosmetics, all of her nails are usually seen painted a dark blue. However, these fashion choices are not, as it happens, the sole manifestation of some kind of repressed femininity, but rather, are simply a practical consideration. The compound she uses to paint her nails is a Pneuma-receptive substance that helps her Analytical Magic and Scrying Magic to scan the flow of Pneuma through the area by drawing it into her body. By remaining barefoot, she can more precisely track the flow of energy through the ground, using this to obtain information on her surroundings through clairvoyance and psychometry. Nevertheless, to those not familiar with her spellcraft, this apparent dislike of footwear only makes her seem even more abnormal.
Her most recognizable accessory is not part of the standard pilot's uniform, but rather, was specially designed for use by Gisela herself. It is a long, ankle-length white and blue cloak, with its end split into three distinct tails, and with its front marked with two slits to allow her arms freedom of movement. All over this garment, red cloth seals are hung from iron loops, numbering ten in total. The function of these seals is to siphon her overflowing Pneuma and re-purpose it, serving as vectors for a shielding spell that reduces force applied to her person. Originally a defensive tool used by combat magicians, it has been modified for use in reducing the tremendous G-Forces she would otherwise experience while piloting her unit, so as to reduce the strain on her body and prevent her from being crushed when performing particularly strenuous maneuvers.
Gisela is, as a general rule, a very calm, quiet individual who takes a great deal of time to think before speaking. If something doesn't need to be said, then, more often than not, she keeps it to herself. If she must say something, she will say it objectively, albeit politely if at all possible. She seldom makes jokes, as it is seldom her place to do so. She is rational, businesslike, and direct, doing what she is told without cutting corners, and attempting to resolve difficulties as efficiently as possible, without hesitating or beating around the bush.
These traits, however, are only partly inherent to her nature. Rather, much of her emotionless attitude is a cultivated persona that is the result of the years she has spent training in the Young Magus Project. Although she was always dutiful - perhaps to a fault - she was not born a perpetual stoic, nor was she always so conscious of her words that she will, more often than not, prefer not to speak. Wanting to please her teachers, wanting to be praised, she tried her best to become what they wanted her to be: a perfectly efficient human tool, suited to accomplish any task it might be given without complaint. Since she was lauded for her composure and cool-headedness, and criticized for speaking out of turn or behaving in an overly emotional manner, she came to view her temper and her own personal feelings as being merely liabilities, and so tried to ignore them to the best of her ability. Unless absolutely necessary for her objective, there is no reason for her to draw attention to herself - doing so, she has concluded, is merely a distraction and a nuisance for more important people. It is her work, and not her person, that she should strive to have appreciated, causing her to avoid almost any form of self-expression when in the company of superiors, instead focusing solely on her orders and on her mission.
However, no matter how hard she tries, Gisela is only human, and, in fact, may not even be wholly that anymore. Beneath her facade of composure, emotions and impulses may suddenly flare up that she cannot seem to fully control. As a rather insidious side-effect of the Pneuma augmentation process she underwent, the foreign energy within her oftentimes will attempt to resist sublimation. Emotions not her own can lash out within her unexpectedly, causing sudden mood swings and outbursts of mania, anger, or depression, which can afterwards cloud her memories so she can't clearly remember what she was doing or why, leading in turn to increased stress that thus brings on more episodes - a vicious cycle that leaves her prized facade of stoicism hanging by a thread, and contributes to her withdrawal from talking entirely as a means of controlling herself.
Furthermore, as a human fused with the Pneuma Hearts of beasts, she is also closer to her animal instincts than one otherwise would be. Rather than the "next evolution of humanity," she is more like a human reverted to a more primal state for the sake of survival. Sudden loud noises, unexpected movements, or flashes of light immediately provoke a fight-or-flight reaction. This is good when she's in the middle of a fight, as it lets her react more quickly to danger. But outside of combat, it becomes rather problematic when her first reaction to a tap on the shoulder or a slight, accidental bump is to immediately retreat. She can't handle physical contact well at all, and, when alarmed, oftentimes becomes emotionally unstable, leading to outbursts like the ones mentioned above. Because of this, she's chemically dependent on several mood-regulating drugs to keep her calm in and out of combat, but those take their own toll on her, too, oftentimes making her nauseous or giving her debilitating headaches.
Nevertheless, despite the simmering cauldron of insecurity and instability lurking just beneath the surface, Gisela prides herself on her "maturity," and thus works tirelessly to master herself and perform at the level that is expected of her, not wanting anyone to see how unsightly and vulnerable she really is. Above all else, she is driven by a fear of being seen as unreliable, and by a desire to be useful to and be praised by others - exactly the sort of give-and-take that one would expect from a person whose very root is "Sending and Receiving."
However, this isn't to say that she has completely lost touch with who she is in the process, either - she has simply learned to what extent she can enjoy herself without causing a disruption, and keeps herself strictly within those confines. Nevertheless, she is still insatiably curious, despite seldom being able to pursue or fulfill this curiosity to any degree that exceeds the boundaries of her mission. Even if she does not show it externally, she indulges in a quiet appreciation for new places, things, and people, and never feels entirely confident - despite her outward front of control - unless she has thoroughly reviewed all data relevant to her situation at least three times. And, although she has done her best to settle for merely being praised and appreciated, she is not an antisocial person. She does have a certain need for some level of interaction with other people. While she seldom has much to say herself, and often hesitates to definitively state her opinion for fear of confrontation (particularly with superiors) and for fear of saying too much and having an emotional episode, she is nevertheless a tremendously good listener, and can sometimes be coaxed into being surprisingly personable and talkative despite her softspoken attitude and reclusive nature.
In particular, she's very fond of and sometimes is even openly affectionate with her "siblings": two other child soldiers with whom she was assigned as a squadmate ever since her initiation into the Young Magus Project. With the other members of the "Aiga Pack," Gisela - or rather, Gila, as they often call her - takes on the role of a somewhat strict "big sister," working to keep the others in line and doing her best to protect them from danger. Despite this sternness, though, she also encourages them to succeed and takes great pride in their shared accomplishments together.
Despite her constant attempts to appear knowledgeable and mature, Gisela is actually rather naive. She has been conditioned since childhood to trust her instructors unquestioningly, after all, and to view their teachings as the final word on any and all matters. As such, she has no doubt that the Kingdom of Westeria is everything that it claims to be - a citadel of knowledge and culture, and the final bastion of enlightenment and freedom that stands against the "religious extremists" of the Egriffin Empire, the "barbarians" of the Zifrin Alliance, and the "old-fashioned and backwards elitists" of the Eastern Dragalia Federation. She believes thoroughly that the "corrupt elites" of the Federation and the Empire are misusing their magic and destroying the very life of the planet in so doing, and that the Alliance are consorting with monsters to the detriment of humanity. If war has been declared, then that war must be just and necessary to protect the well-being of the people and bring prosperity to Westeria. While she is, admittedly, afraid of dying on the battlefield, nevertheless she is utterly convinced that she is doing the right thing by fighting, and thus will do whatever it takes to ensure victory.
Gisela was born a sickly girl with too little Pneuma to influence the world around her. As such, she has little to no innate affinity for any of the traditional elements of magic. However, due to the procedures she underwent as a subject of the Young Magus Project, her innate Pneuma has been dramatically augmented with the life force of beasts, and she thus "developed" an entirely new affinity not at all based on the manifestation of a connection with the outside world, but rather based on her own internal desires for human connection, experience, and understanding. As such, her Magical Affinity is not focused on a particular element such as Fire, Water, or the like, but rather upon the abstract concepts of "Sending and Receiving." Due to this, she has become a prodigy of sorts in the fields of Scrying Magic, Analytical Magic, and Communications Magic, and is capable of combining these different spell forms in a variety of different ways to create new and unique effects.
Scrying Magic: Fundamentally, this is a magic that observes things at a distance by "seeing" through Pneuma. It pulses a fragment of the user's power through the surrounding landscape, gathering data based on the other types of Pneuma it encounters in order to create a picture of the area in question. Functionally, it is like a form of clairvoyance, but can also be used to determine the raw concentration of Pneuma in an area and get some idea of its ambient currents. Frequently used in Magecha as a "sensor" or "sonar" of sorts.
Analytical Magic: Similar to Scrying Magic, but focused entirely upon one object through some sort of sensory contact. By smelling, hearing, seeing, tasting, or touching an object, one can determine its structure and properties. The closer the observation, the more accurate and detailed the results. (Hearing/Smelling < Seeing < Touching/Tasting) At high levels, the user can grasp the entire design of an object, its material composition, the different affinities and relative balance of its Pneuma, its function, and even, in some cases, its history. Functionally, then, it is like a highly detailed "scan" coupled with Psychometry. Frequently used in Magecha as a "camera."
Communications Magic: Used to send information from one person's mind to another, or from the caster's mind to a pre-designated object, which in turn relays the signal to another point. This communication is not only limited to spoken or written messages, but can also include images, scents, tastes, or even, with enough power, the necessary Pneumatic invocation to activate a spell remotely, provided the message's recipient has the necessary Pneuma to do so. Gisela, given her affinity, can use this to remotely activate a Scrying or Analytical spell using a pre-established Receiver as a reference point. A normal user of this school of magic would be limited to short range communications of a mile at most, but Gisela's particular affinity for this form of spellcraft allows her to pass decently complex signals even over distances of several miles. Frequently used in Magecha as a "radio."
As an added note, Gisela's "eyepatch" - in fact a complex cybernetic implant coupled with a Pneuma regulator and amplifier - is designed in the same way as a Magech's "radio" formula would be, and is specifically linked to the "Receivers" Gisela employs for her magic. This dramatically increases the speed and efficiency of her Communications Magic, and the fidelity of any information returned by a remotely activated Scrying or Analytical spell, dramatically increasing her analytical and sensory capabilities, even at great distances. Furthermore, when piloting, the "eyepatch" can establish a communications link with her unit, beaming all of its Scrying and Analytical data directly up her optic nerve and into her brain, allowing her to react to outside stimuli much more quickly. However, regardless of the way in which it is being used, as of yet, the implant is still an imperfect prototype, and has a tendency to flood the user with information faster than their mind can process it. This can lead to intense amounts of mental strain if the device is overused, causing intense migraines, dizziness, disorientation, heightened states of stress and emotion, seizures, fainting, and possibly even death. Consequently, unless she absolutely has to, Gisela seldom uplinks with her unit for very long, regardless of the advantages it provides her.
Special Magical Art - Ritual Magic: By combining Scrying Magic and Communications Magic, Gisela is capable of creating entirely unique "ritual" variants on existing forms of magic. First, she scans the terrain to find a suitable nexus of ambient Pneuma. Then, by placing a receiver connected with some source of elemental magic there, she can use Communications Magic to send a signal to that point, activating the elemental magic remotely using the Pneuma of the land rather than her own energy. This also bypasses her own inability to control traditional elemental magic, since it is the land and not she herself that is serving as the vector. However, even though not on the same scale as a traditional "Ritual" - a forbidden sort of magic that perverts the flow of Pneuma through an entire area rather than simply giving it a new affinity - this sort of magic does take time to prepare, as the ritual point must "charge" until it has a sufficient concentration of Pneuma to unleash the spell.
Special Magical Art - Spirit Hacking: The culmination of all of Gisela's magical prowess, and a unique manifestation of magic which only she can utilize to its fullest. Using Scrying Magic, she can trace the flow of Pneuma through a living magus, or through any kind of magical device, particularly Magecha. Next, she uses Analytical Magic to pinpoint specific elements of its structure, and the affinities and Pneumatic invocations involved in actualizing any spells that are being channeled through that device. Finally, using Communications Magic to transmit directly to some kind of Receiver attached to the target, she interferes with the inputs controlling that flow and replaces them with her own. Using this art, she can intercept and alter the contents of messages being sent via enemy Communications Magic and interfere with the results of their Scrying and Analytical Magic, displaying entirely false images and things which are not there, altering the locations and properties of real objects, or concealing those real objects entirely. Given proper preparation and a great deal of power, she can even briefly take over the controls of enemy Magecha, locking their pilots out of the system and shutting them down, or else having them momentarily turn on their own allies, sowing confusion and chaos. It is her creation and mastery of this art that has earned Gisela her reputation as a prodigy, and it was with this particular trait in mind that her most recent prototype Iron Arcana was designed.
The girl now known as Gisela Aiga remembers almost nothing about her past. She was told that she, as a child, suffered from a crippling deficiency of Pneuma that would have surely resulted in her death if left untreated. As such, her family sent her to the Young Magus Project, hoping that they could treat her sickness. For this reason, she was augmented with Pneuma as part of an experimental procedure that saved her life. However, since this technique was new and entirely untested, she had to be left in the care of the project in order to ensure that there were no unforeseen side-effects.
To make a very long story short, there were, as the unstable energy she had been infused with ravaged her psyche with increasing frequency. She remembers almost nothing from this period, or from the time before it - "an unfortunate and entirely unforeseen result of her body rejecting its new Pneuma," as she was told. She was proscribed a series of drugs to keep her mental state stable, and subjected to a few more procedures to correct the Pneuma imbalances in her body in as much as that was possible. And, when the testing was finally done, it was "coincidentally discovered" that the treatment had unlocked latent magical powers hitherto unheard of and made her "quite accidentally" into a prodigy. This being the case, her parents were "humbly requested" that she be admitted into the "prestigious project," which would put her on the fast track to a high position in her country's service. They agreed - or at least, she was told that they had agreed. It hardly mattered, however. The erasure of her memories was so complete that she would not have recognized her parents' faces, voices, or names even had they met face to face. Without a past to return to, there was no point in questioning the kind people who had so generously offered her so prestigious an opportunity. After all, even had she refused to go along with the project, it wasn't like she had any knowledge of the outside world, or any idea what she would do instead. So, she accepted, and her training began.
Alongside other "volunteers" who all seemed to have lost their pasts as well, the amnesiac girl was given a new name, and with it, a new "family." The students were divided into "packs" - cohesive squadrons selected for the synergy of their magical affinities. Each of their talents could compensate for another's weaknesses, maximizing their effectiveness when working in tandem. They would always be kept together, living, eating, training, and playing as a group to encourage mutual reliance and bonding. They were also encouraged to treat each other as siblings, and given a shared family name. The girl now christened Gisela was assigned to the Aiga Pack - a group of three, including herself - as its communications and information specialist.
So it was that, along with her siblings, her training began. She was taught the glorious history of the Kingdom of Westeria, and was instructed how to use her magic and encouraged to innovate in its use alongside her siblings and to discover its unique properties and applications for herself. Most importantly, however, she was also taught the basics of operating military technology. From the time she was 10, she began a regimen of constant simulations meant to hone her abilities as a pilot, and by the time she was 12, she was already capable of operating a basic "Fool" exoskeleton with the level of proficiency expected of a junior officer in the Iron Arcane Force. From this point forward, she and her siblings were moved out of the basic Young Magus Program, and into the Westerian government's top secret Research and Operations Division, where they worked as test pilots for prototype units combining elements of traditional Magecha design with the new, wholly mechanized technology of the Iron Arcana.
With the long-awaited declaration of war against the Egriffin Empire, these special projects have been rushed into their final stages. In order to complete the production of new units to counter the Empire's Monster-empowered Magecha, the Research and Operations Division has spared no expense on the development of three special units incorporating the most cutting edge technology the Kingdom has to offer. After extensive testing and modifications at home, these units have at last been deemed ready for deployment, so as to test their capabilities in live combat with the enemy. Attached as a special unit working alongside the regular Iron Arcane Forces, the Aiga Pack have been chosen to pilot these new Iron Arcana Frames.
The Type-17 "Star" and Type-19 "Sun" have each been assigned to her "siblings." As for Gisela herself, she has been assigned the new Type-18 "Moon" prototype.
The time has come. Westeria calls for its children, thirsts for their strength. For the glory of King and Country, and for the future of humankind, the next generation shall gladly stake their lives.
Name: Hibiki and Shizuka “Karla and Irene Aiga” Age: Both are 16 years old. Hibiki is the slightly older one. Gender: Females Nationality: Westerian Appearance: History: Hibiki and Shizuka are inseparable, even in birth; the two sisters were born together as twins and their histories are connected even when they’re apart. Their parents were simple folk just trying to make a living in one of Westeria’s farming colonies, doing well for itself thanks to the lack of monster activities in the area. But because of the lack of danger, there was also a lack of attention from Westeria’s military, so much that there wasn’t even a single Magecha, just a rudimentary police force to keep the peace. The village had only it’s isolation to protect it from attack, and that alone wasn’t enough when the two sisters were five years old.
Suddenly their village was approached by armed soldiers from an unknown faction. No one from the village, not even the town guard, knew who or where these soldiers came from. They made their demands simple: they wanted all the food supplies available, and any young man or woman under the age of sixteen to join them. Any resistance would be met with immediate violence. These soldiers were far better equipped than any of the guardsmen were, but no one wanted to give up their children. Hibiki and Shizuka’s parents were one of the first to try and flee before their village was razed to the ground. However during the chaos Hibiki and Shizuka were separated, both being taken away by their parents when soldiers nearly gunned them down. Their father, who was carrying Shizuka, was killed not long after and Shizuka herself was taken by the soldiers. Hibiki and her mother managed to escape but never forgot that tragic day.
Hibiki and her mother managed to seek refuge in one of Westeria’s cities. They waited and hoped that after reporting the attack to the military there, Shizuka might have been saved. But by the time the soldiers came back, they told the two that they did not find Shizuka, and only managed to recover the body of Hibiki’s father. Distraught, Hibiki’s mother fell into a deep depression. Hibiki on the other hand did not lose hope. Though she mourned her father, she knew in her heart that her sister was alive. And that Hibiki would save her no matter the cost. At the young age of eight years old, Hibiki worked as hard as she possibly could through school and desired to join the military to become stronger. When she heard of a project seeking out young children to volunteer for a very special project.
At this point Hibiki’s mother was barely a hollow shell of her former self. Lost in the haze of drugs and alcohol, she was barely capable of signing the volunteer papers that Hibiki had presented her. For Hibiki’s mother, she thought she had lost all of her family years ago when their village was attacked. But at that moment, Hibiki knew that she lost her mother, and the only person she would have left is her sister Shizuka. Hibiki was then taken away to have experiments done on her, forgetting nearly all of her memories. All of except one vague memory, the memory of someone she needs to save.
As for Shizuka, when she was taken away by the soldiers she was quick to learn and adapt. She knew when she needed to be silent and obedient, but schemed and worked against them in whatever way she could. They too took children for the purpose of training and indoctrinating them. They were abused, mentally and physically, in order to crush their spirits and make them obedient to the soldiers. Shizuka was given an especially hard time after they discovered her treachery, often leaving her for dead only to find her later when she regains enough strength to try and escape. She often wondered why they didn’t simply kill her when they had the chance, but they never had that chance. One day during practice the soldiers were ambushed by Iron Magecha, overwhelmed by sheer firepower. However Shizuka and the other children were not specifically saved either; many who haven’t already died due to the brutal conditions of their training ended up as mere casualties to the explosions and attacks by the Iron Magecha. Those who survived were taken by the Westeria soldiers, and not to reunite back with their family.
As fate would have it, Shizuka was taken to be one of the “volunteers” for the same project as her sister. Of the surviving children, Shizuka was one of the few who had a workable level of Pneuma as well as physical ability. She didn’t consent but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t strong enough to resist, and her memory was wiped out as they conducted their experiments to make her into a super soldier. Only one memory remained in Shizuka’s mind; a memory of someone she’s been wanting to meet again.
Perhaps because it was luck, or maybe it was destiny. Maybe it was just because the two have changed so much since they were seperated, neither they nor their handlers realized that the girls once known as Hibiki and Shizuka became part of the same pack along with one other. The two quickly made a rapport with one another, with Hibiki becoming the self-elected leader and eldest sibling of the pack while Shizuka supported from behind the scenes. Along with their third sister, the trio were raised and worked together for the glory of Westeria.
When the Kingdom of Westeria declared war on Egriffin Empire, the three girls were willing and ready to lay down their lives for each other and their nation. To ensure their utmost ability and strength for the coming war, each member of the pack was given unique Iron Magecha utilizing the best weaponry and technology that the kingdom had to offer. For Hibiki, she was assigned the Type-18 Sun, and with it given the callsign “Nova”. Shizuka piloted the Type-17 Star and took the name “Stella” as her callsign.
The time had come. All of their life’s training, both remembered and forgotten, had lead up to this moment of war. The Kingdom of Westeria has called upon its strongest and greatest to come to it’s defense, and the twins have answered. They would prove the world of their abilities or die honorably.
Hail Westeria.
Magic: Hibiki’s main roll is the group’s Sniper, and many of her magic abilities augment that ability. Either to make it easier for her to strike her enemy, do more damage, or provide other effects that will lead to the enemy’s defeat. She also knows a few utility spells to ensure that herself and her allies are safe from retaliation and attack, either by providing camouflage or protection.
Alter Bullet - This spell adds or changes traits to Hibiki’s bullet to provide different effects to suit her needs. At the moment she can choose four separate traits: Vanishing, Arcing, Illuminating, and Waning. Vanishing causes the bullet to activate no senses aside from the damage inflicted; the bullet would not make any noise, displace no air, nor be seen by any means either technological or magical, even bypassing scrying or future vision. Arcing causes the bullet to travel at improbable trajectories and angles, making it possible for the bullet to curve so much that it moves backwards. Hibiki has full control over the movement of the bullet and can even make it do sharp right angle turns to hit the target. Illuminating does not appear to have any notable effects at first until it hits the target that HIbiki designates; when it does the target is brightly illuminated to make them easily spotted and struck down by others, and this illumination does not cease until the target is destroyed or at least thirty minutes pass. Finally Waning causes the bullet to corrode and age a large surface area wherever the bullet strikes, causing immense and often unrecoverable damage to whatever is struck.
Illusionary Terrain - This illusion spell creates a large visual illusion that creates a terrain feature such as a formation of rocks, trees, or even ruins and buildings in the eyes of observers, including magical or technological identification. Once this spell is cast a new feature cannot be made or moved until the spell is casted again, and doing so will dismiss the previous terrain. Using this spell Hibiki can easily hide herself and a few others near her. She can designate specific people when she casts this spell to be able to ignore the illusion.
Glyph of Warding - Runic sigils visible only to Hibiki or anyone with a sufficiently powerful magical sensor looking for them. These glypse can contain the power of spells either from Hibiki or others when the Glyph of Warding spell is casted, or it can simply be charged with powerful magical energies that will explode when specific conditions are met, such as someone coming to close proximity, saying certain commands, or after a duration of time.
Shizuka’s role is close-range combat and support, providing healing and repairing even in the midst of battle. Her abilities focus on survivability to outlast the enemy and force them to expend as much resources as possible to bypass her near unbreakable defenses.
Recovery - This spell mends the damage done to physical bodies, be it flesh or steel. The effects are instantaneous and can often undo debilitating conditions such as poison, diseases, and other forms of damage over time, especially if those conditions are fairly recent. More severe or older injuries need to use a higher level of Pneuma to have any effect, with severe injuries requiring less Pneuma compared to older wounds.
Domain Control - Shizuka conjures a glowing white force that she can manipulate freely. She can cause this force to take a shape and solidify, becoming a barrier, or manipulate something within the force as a form of telekinesis. Domain Control can be used offensively as well by launching it at foes as a projectile or used to grapple and bind them at no risk to Shizuka, however stronger Magecha can force their way out of the Domain Control or have armor strong enough to withstand the attacks. Shizuka’s mastery of this spell is so fine that she can easily function in a chaotic melee and still control her spell with expert precision and timing.
Doppelganger - A powerful spell that allows Shizuka to create multiple copies of herself, and by extension her Magecha. Higher levels of Pneuma allows her to create more copies of herself. Though the copies themselves have little to know defensive or offensive ability, at any moment Shizuka can switch positions with any of her Doppelgangers, allowing her to confuse her enemies with a vast amount of clones or escape by sending a doppelganger away and switching to it once it’s safely away.
Magecha: Type-18 Sun “Nova” and Type-17 Star “Stella” Magecha Appearance: Magecha Weaponry: Nova’s primary weapon is it’s custom Heavy Rod Launcher code named Impact Spiral, having a more conventional sniper-rifle appearance for sheer raw damage and ability. It does not use conventional ammunition, but instead fires solidified and condensed Pneuma. Low charges allow her to shoot multiple bullets rapidly like a machine gun, but a long charge will cause the most damage. It has enough power to bore through mountains with a maximum charge and even less charges is more than capable of punching through all but the most stalwart of Magecha. It’s main advantage however it’s the sheer length of its range which allows it to fire a bullet up to eighty kilometers (That’s close to fifty miles away). If needed the stock of this weapon can also be used as warhammer, utilizing the sheer recoil from such a weapon to cause massive amount of concussive damage to anyone caught by the gunstroke.
Secondary weapons for Nova include two Vibroblades hidden within the leg compartments and chest mounted autocannons capable of shredding Magecha armor at a short range, however these cannons do require full chest exposure which leaves the Nova vulnerable to counter attack.
Stella’s main weapon is a highly advanced modular spiral spear called the Spiral Edge, capable of changing ti’s length or even changing the direction of it’s blade to become a needle-like drill point, or bloom into a flower shape to create a shield. Though primarily in spear form it can also shrink to a smaller sword form in compact areas, or change into a longsword when force is needed more than finesse. The main sellpoint of the weapon is it’s spiral engine that can cause the weapon to rotate at powerful speeds to use friction to destroy or disarm the enemy’s equipment or just the enemy itself. It also has a built in retrieval system to allow Stella to throw the spear at an enemy and have it return to her hand before the enemy can recover it. Should it ever be in an enemy’s possession, Stella can choose to have the spear operate erratically so that it could damage the enemy, or simply self-destruct.
In addition to Stella’s modular spear, she also carries multiple smaller versions that can only transform between a javelin mode or short swords, however they also possess a spiral engine and thus they can serve as weapons as dangerous as her primary spear as well. Stella’a large shield-like pauldrons also serve as magical foci allowing her to extend the size, shape, and even amount of magic she can manipulate, allowing her to do such things as cause her Recovery spell to affect a wide area, create up two domain controls with more definite shapes and functions such as additional arms or wings, or create more doppelgangers with more notable abilities so that they could be a threat against her enemies.
Both the Nova and Stella are equipped with an experimental weapon attached to their heads known as the Radiant Wave Exhaust, which appears to be luminance flames that take on a hair-like appearance. However they do serve a functional purpose; these flames react to debris and danger that move towards the head of Magecha, serving as an automated defense system for those who would try and directly attack the cockpit. While incredibly short range these flames can be controlled manually for more specific patterns and attacks, and their short range allows them to move with astonishing speed and precision, so much that it’s not uncommon for it to intercept projectiles before the pilots realize they’re being fired upon. These flames can also be shrunken down should stealth be prioritized over protection.
Lance stands at 5’6” and weighing in at 170 pounds. Years of working on the Defiance alone and a structured workout regimen used by his father while he was a pilot for the Egriffin military. Despite his thin look, he is very muscular.
As for his clothing, he keeps it simple with black trousers and tee shirt and boots. He also wears the red jacket above. On his belt he has a few pouches for the more important/used tools he needs to service the Defiance. He doesn’t really change this style much as he only has a duffel bag to live out of. He also carries a pocket watch, a gift from his parents when he was younger.
While piloting the Defiance He wears the pilot suit shown below. Which was designed for him by his mother to integrate with Defiance.
Lance grew up happily in the Egriffin Empire, He had many friends and a loving mother and father. His father was a well respected pilot/technician within the Empire’s army. Who also came through a long line of pilots dating back to the major war two hundred years ago. His mother was a talented engineer and designer. They lived rather comfortably on his fathers property.
Ever since he was little, he always had a fascination for tearing any technology they had apart, as well as piloting Magecha's. Granted he never operated a real one till he was 13, but had the opportunity to use simulators and proved to be a natural.
His family and his families property held an amazing secret. Lance was a descendant of the man who piloted the Defiance. A legendary Magecha that appeared near the end of the war two hundred and helped bring an end to the fighting. It didn’t fight for a kingdom though. Instead, it fought for the Citizens of both the countries. Fighting both the Griffin empire and Kingdom of Westeria.
Despite being outnumbered many times, it would always come out victorious. Thus receiving the name Defiance. Defiance originally Designated as the 'Solo Raider' was one of the last of the First Generation of Valkyr, a prototype of the Vallhalla Corporation that was designed for operating alone, deep in enemy territory as an aggressive Recon Magecha. Meant to be quick and tough, focused on Guerrilla warfare. However it was abandoned near completion due to multiple complications. It was designed with the thought in mind using more common monster Magecha, Despite their many attempts, they found that common or more uncommon Monster Magecha couldn't even get it to work. Being so close to completion they regrettably decided to put the machine into storage.
His work put into mothballs, the head scientist on the project knew if he got this Magecha to work, the war would end quickly. After reworking his calculations, he realized he made a major error and knew he now needed a really rare Magecha monster heart. All he needed was a pilot who could get a hold of one and become the pilot of the prototype. That was his ancestor, a man who fought the entire war and wanted it to end as quickly as possible, sick of the crimes both sides committed. He was also one of the Egriffin's empire's greatest pilots.
After he managed to defeat a Dire lion, at the cost of his old Magecha, he then snuck into the Vallhalla Corporation's R&R and stole the Solo Raider. Defiance became a Legend almost over night, soon being repainted from a dull green to a Crimson Red. His ancestor did this for a couple reasons, first being it was his favorite color and second he wanted to create a powerful image to scare his opponents into standing down. This worked immensely as almost everyone quickly heard the stories of Defiance.
In one of the final battles, it received a devastating critical hit damaging the Dire Lion's heart. This greatly reduced the power to the Magecha, which in turn caused more damage to it as he wasn't operating at full power. But he managed to finish the battle and escape. He managed to hide it before it shut down for good. Most of the systems were destroyed, but the worst part was that the Dire Lion's heart gave out.
With The war came to an end, and his ancestor built his home over the Defiance, to keep it hidden. Not even daring to bring it back to The Vallhalla Corporation in fear they would build upon it and create even more powerful machines. Not to mention that the Westerian Kingdom would never settle for Egriffin to be in possession of the magecha.
So it sat, for nearly two hundred years. Being worked on periodically by the next generations of Yeager's, with ideas to get it ready for the next war. But none of them were able to come close to get it running again. None of them were talented or skilled enough to even get close to a Dire lion as well....Until his Father. Who was able to kill one and harvest it's heart. With being in a cold war with Westeria, and things slowly getting worse, he knew it would come in his and his families lifetime.
Lance helped his father and mother repair the Defiance. with most of the major repairs done over the years, they mainly worked on and updated the electrical systems with the best they could get their hands on, replacing the antiquated hydraulic lines and upgrading the sensors, increasing it's range. By the time they were done, Lance knew every square inch of that machine and how it all worked. To top it off, his mother created a suit to integrate with Defiance, a technology relatively new but common with more of the Advanced Magecha or Iron Arcana's. She made it for her husband, who intended to fly Defiance in the upcoming war. But she also made one for her son. Having the feeling she couldn't shake off that Lance would be the one to actually fly it.
While it was rare to be able to pilot a Magecha unless you knew someone who had one out of the military, or even use the military simulators. Lance was able to use the on board simulator of the Defiance. Which was updated by his mother many years ago. This is where he gained most of his experience, and training from his father until he joined the Academy to become a pilot when he was 17. He instantly rocketed to the top of his class, a prodigy, like his father when he came through the academy. With his skills and talent, he was moved to a more advanced class. Again he quickly advanced to the head of the class. He was able to move the Magecha so effectively as if it was literally apart of him. As if he was the machine. He was able to push the Magecha's farther than thought possible. It didn't matter which make or model he piloted, it would seem like he did it for years
He did have a problem conforming (though he hid it) to swearing fealty to only the emperor. Seeing how the emperor and kings of other countries only ruled to gain more power, stepping on the backs of it's citizens to do it. There were many instances and simulations where he was forced to obey a command, despite his personal feeling and being reprimanded for not following through. Even though it was a simulation or not.
With seeing this, the instructors pushed harder to get him to conform, and he only became more rebellious. His thoughts turning to the stories of his ancestor who fought even his homeland because of the atrocities they committed. Something he wanted to aspire to, and not be stifled. This soon came to a breaking point where he quit. Deciding the life as a pilot in the Egriffin military was not for him.
Six months later, the war broke out. No longer part of the military he saw the immediate effect it had on the citizens. His city was the first that was blitzed by the Westrian kingdom. They destroyed everything in their path. Thousands of citizens dead and more wounded while caught in the crossfire. His father was on duty at the time. While piloting his personal Magecha, that was issued by the military, he was Killed as he went up against the Kingdom's new and powerful prototypes...He didn't find out till after the battle though. However, while the battle was raging, he was at home with his mother. They were working to finish the final systems check, believing his father was on his way. The battle between two Magecha's came closer and closer to his home. His mother told him to get into the Defiance and do the final check, almost as if she knew. A few minutes later as she finished the upload of the update, the ceiling suddenly caved and tons of rock and steel fell, crushing her. A Egriffin Magecha had been knocked over onto his home. The weight of the machine crushing the cavern that hid the Defiance.
Seeing his mother crushed before his eyes, Lance was filled with Rage. With out hesitation, he powered up Defiance to full power. The ancient machine rose up out of its grave just like the horror stories of the undead, and literally right infront of him as the enemy pilot was confused why the EE Magecha sunk father into the ground than normal.
Lance reacted on instinct and grabbed the enemy's arm and yanked him down, pulling himself up as he did. Once up he reached down and grabbed the dropped sword of the downed EE magecha and with out mercy or hesitation rammed it through the cockpit of the enemy. He didn't even stop to check if his aim was true. He turned and moved onto his next target.
The ancient Magecha tore through the battlefield once again, just as it did 200 years ago. He killed most of the Magecha’s from the Kingdom of Westeria in his rage of losing both his father and mother. Afterwards though, he did feel regret for the lives he took. Remembering the stories of his ancestor, he wanted to be more like him. Lance did have some trouble in his first battles, especially when he didn’t want to kill. but with a bit of Luck, and his innate skills. He managed to win quite a few battles. The pilots, on both sides, started to spread the stories of Defiance once again.
Rallying Cry- Increases strength and speed of the user and his allies while giving slight repreve of any injuries received recently.
Alter self- User can pick a target (magecha or living being) and Alter his form for a minute. It cannot copy abilities, but scanners and visual instruments cannot tell the difference between the two. He can use this a few times in a single battle, but has to wait a bit in between.
Self Recovery-This spell mends the damage done to physical bodies, be it flesh or steel. The effects are instantaneous and can often undo debilitating conditions such as poison, diseases, and other forms of damage over time, especially if those conditions are fairly recent. More severe or older injuries need to use a higher level of Pneuma to have any effect, with severe injuries requiring less Pneuma compared to older wounds.
High grade Armor - While not Heavy armored, it's Armor is lighter yet holding onto it's strength which gives the Magecha the advantage of faster movement.
Boosters -Gives the Defiance the ability to quickly move about or jump higher. It's prone to overheat, so it must cool down depending on what it's being used for.
Heart of the Lion - The powerful Dire Lion's heart gives the Magecha the ability to be more agile and faster than others it's size, also making it tougher.
Recon sensors - To begin with, it had the most advanced sensors at the time it was created. It received a major upgrade by Lances mother, but these sensors include Dozens of different kinds to help keep it one step ahead of it's enemy. But also increased range over non recon Magecha's.
Stallion - Part of the Defiance's original design, a secondary vehicle was built and place into one of it's legs. As a means of a quick escape, or way of more discrete travel. Its fast when fully charged, but when it is powered by Lances Pneuma, it can change into a hover craft for even more speed, it does take a bit of Pneuma to rund depending on how hard he pushes it.
Mid-Range Beam Battle rifle Grenade launcher Tracking missiles within the shoulders X 4 Shield Broadsword Sheathed within the shield.
History: Born of a fling between a male Puca and a female human, Shailagh resulted. Her mother raised her, telling her about her father when she was old enough to understand. While not in the picture, there was no ill will towards her father as it was a one night stand. Shailagh and her mother lived on a cliffside farm. Many rocks and crags needed cleared as they grew their crops, so both became accustomed to light mining. Below them, just a short walk away, was a set of waterfalls where Shailagh spent most of her time and met her companion.
Following her childhood, Shailagh ventured away to find her own path. Along the way, she encountered a circle of druids. From the age of 16 until she was 30, Shailagh trained with them and developed both her innate abilities as well as her Pneuma magic. At the end of her training, Shailagh was gifted a scroll to give to an archdruid at the center of Zifran. She traveled there immediately, presenting the scroll. The archdruid led her through a molded wooden structure where magecha stood inactive. He told her to choose the one that calls to her. As she wandered, various industrial and monster magecha looked interesting, but she heard a faint whisper pulling her towards the back. Once at the absolute back of the structure, she saw a solid wall of vines. It seemed like a dead end. The archdruid was confused as well as there was nothing there. Shailagh reached out and touched the wall. the vines immediately parted, slithering away to reveal an extremely old prototype magecha. The whispers called her to the magecha and the archdruid gifted it to her. Shailagh, along with druids from the area, set to work updating and fixing the old magecha. Most of it was actually cutting edge, even for this time. The only things they needed to do was sharpen the claws and mandibles as well as get its joints unlocked from years of disuse. Once operational, Shailagh took it and practiced with it until she and her companion worked as a seamless team within the chitin and metal confines. They worked tirelessly for 16 years to protect people and intelligent monsters alike from monsters keen on only destroying them.
Shailagh first enocountered the Valhalla Corporation on a personal mission to push back some encroaching predatory monsters. She saw a Valkyr battling some of them and charged in to assist. The battle lasted little time before the monsters retreated, thus saving the nearby people. The pilot of the magecha saw potential in the spirited half-faerie and took her to the corporate base with him. She has only just arrived and been inducted into the group, so she has not obtained a new magecha nor upgrades to her current one. She is green to the corporation and all-out war but not to piloting or fighting.
Magic:
Animal Speech: This costs no Pnuema and is always active due to her druidic training. It can be suppressed or countered as normal magic. It allows her to speak to all animals as well as animal like monsters. She can understand and be understood by them. Anyone who does not also have this ability will hear her making the natural noises of the creature she is talking to.
Fairy Trick: This spell creates minor effects for the use of tricking, misleading, or entertaining. It can cause minor things such as smells, sounds, and flavors for chosen targets. Up to 6 targets can be chosen per cast. As long as a little Pneuma is used to maintain it, the spell can last as long as desired.
Druid's Feast: Conjures up a long and flat bit of shaped wood set with various game, fruits, and veggies. They will match the game and plants of the area this spell is cast within. The meal can comfortably feed 6 targets in a single cast and provides a day's worth of nourishment. This spell costs a decent amount of Pneuma, so it is usually used if meals cannot be procured.
Fairy's Luck: This spell can alter luck for a single target. It can either provide better luck or worse luck. While it doesn't directly alter actions, the alteration of the ephemeral concept of luck does cause more mishaps to occur to those afflicted with bad luck and more fortune to those with enhanced luck. This is costly if cast on anyone but herself, causing it to cost a moderate amount. The effects last for an hour.
Shape Wood: This spell allows her to shape wood and alter its properties. The primary use is to alter wood into weapons she needs at any given time. By making it more or less dense as well as altering its base properties, she can make the weapon function as well as a steel counterpart. She can also make it springy and flexible for whips and other flexible weapons. Outside of weapons, she can similarly make wooden armor on par with steel. The limit to this spell is size. She can make full suits of armor and weapons or small objects, but anything larger would take either multiple casts or cannot be done. The largest item she has ever created took weeks and is her house.
Nonmagical Abilities:
Shapeshifting: Drawing from her nature as half-Puca, she can alter her form. It is restricted to animal, animal like small and medium monsters, and to hide her ears as normal human ears. She gains the nonmagical abilities of her form and retains her mind and personality, but she cannot do anything that the form could not.
Fairy Sense: This grants the ability to see in low and no light conditions without issue. It also gives her the ability to accurately predict the weather.
Immortal: Thanks to her fairy half, she holds the status of "immortal until killed." She does not age and will not die of old age.
Other: She is a great hunter, forager, and sneak. She also has significant experience in making clothing, components for clothing, and in both treating and creating treatments for wounds.
Short range flight: The wings can propel the magecha for short distances. It can glide for extended periods of time. The pneuma cost of this quickly adds up for flight and is moderate for gliding.
Reverse-joint Jumping: The legs are optimized for jumping and thus can use them to dodge, charge, or reach difficult positions. Though much slower than the flight, they offer far more control and longer range. It costs little Pneuma to perform a jump.
Armored Carapace: Heavily armored, thus reducing speed when not flying or jumping. Reflexes remain normal due to optimizations for melee combat. The carapace is strong against physical attacks, but it is specialized against heat and Pneuma damage.
Hardened Claws: The claws at the ends of each arm and feet are sharp and powerful, useful for ripping and slicing into enemies.
Lockjaw Mandibles: The enlarged mandibles can crush, pierce, and slice into an enemy, using some Pneuma to cause more extensive damage. They can be used to grapple a target.
Plasma Drillers: Short range plasma stream. Mounted in the lower palms. Both draw from the same source, so if one overheats, the other is disabled as part of its safety features. The plasma stream cuts through targets as well as superheats the area affected.
Marksman Heat Riveter: Modified into a marksman weapon, this rivet gun can fire out to long range accurately. Projectile travel time must be compensated. The heated rivets are armor piercing and shatter inside the target to cause secondary shrapnel damage. The rivet gun can hold a clip of 10 rivets in an internal magazine.
Malfunction 3 Heat Riveter: By exploiting a known flaw in the system of industrial riveters, the rivets can be split into smaller fragments to produce a short to medium range shotgun type of effect. The riveter has 3 additional barrels added to create more projectiles. The heated rivets are split into three pieces as they leave the barrel. While not inherently armor piercing, their heated nature allows for eventual destruction of the armor hit. This riveter can fire on fully automatic and uses a 120 round box magazine to feed into the four barrels. each trigger pull produces 12 projectiles.
Characteristics: Despite being a water fairy, the Gwragedd Annwn are actually human sized and intelligent. Donella became Shailagh's companion early on due to both spending great deals of their time beside the waterfalls that Donella lived within. Rather than Shailagh asking for the companionship, Donella instead asked. Shailagh said yes, not knowing that it meant the two were now wed, not that Shailagh was complaining. Luckily, both are polyamorous, so they are not forced to be exclusive with one another, though they hold a high preference for each other. Donella, like Shailagh, is also immortal until killed.
Personality: Donella shares many similarities to Shailagh. The main differences between the two are Donella's love of playing and singing music and her enjoyment of drawing and painting. Their personalities mesh on an almost uncanny level given the fact they essentially grew up together.
