Yankee
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Andre Valias
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Noctis
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EstylwenH-Hello.Joseph Condoy
Ang Aso 'The Dog' | 23 | Male | 5'7" | 141 lbs
Goal: To protect and care for his family the best he can.
Secrets: Joseph has a secret relationship with an affluent man, but presents as straight because of hetero norms in his family's cultural upbringing.
Fears: Being outed to anyone, especially his family; losing any more of his family; feeling trapped or being stuck in a helpless situation, especially in the dark.
History: Before the Wall went up 50 years ago, Filipino immigrants made their way into Nocturnia and settled in what is now Iron Gate. Among them were Joseph’s paternal grandparents, who managed to get title to a pair of flats and a grocery store close to each other. Over the years, both the properties and business stayed within the family. For a while, pre-Wall, Iron Gate was prosperous and the Filipino-Spanish community worked well together.
Born second of three children to Basil and Maria Condoy, Joseph grew up feeling somewhat invisible compared to his older brother Jordan and younger sister Jane. Their father worked long hours with their grandfather as engineers at the local power relay station, while their mother ran the asian grocer with their grandmother. Most of their time as kids was spent either at the store or staying with family friends and their children.
Life was rough when the Wall went up. The Mafias, with the advent of Gyfts, had become a real threat and somehow the Nocturnia police turned out to be no better. Iron Gate was never the wealthiest district, and it got worse when it became a battleground between the two forces of Nocturnia. The district was host to more altercations between mafiosos and police as the years went by. When he and his siblings were growing up, Joseph’s parents drilled the importance of staying safe even when in their own neighborhood.
Unfortunately, the conflict reached their world. Their grandmother was mugged on her way home from locking up the store in the evening and left for dead when Joseph was only 9. A few years later: Joseph’s grandfather was killed when mafiosos blew up the relay station, plunging Iron Gate into a district-wide blackout. The memory of being only 12 and huddled with his mother and siblings around tealight candles, with only fragile hope to keep them company, is one that stayed with Joseph to present day.
The city’s administration never rebuilt the relay station, and instead settled with drip-feeding ‘excess’ electricity from the neighboring districts. Under this approach, Iron Gate suffered from frequent power shortages and whole neighborhoods went without electricity. Swathes of the district fell into poverty and disrepair, and Iron Gate became an ever-attractive option for mafiosos to establish drug labs and black market storehouses in the district’s abandoned real estate. With the district’s increased poverty, tensions strained between the Filipino and Spanish population until they split into two opposing factions within the slums.
Basil had left the relay station to pick up dinner for his coworkers, inadvertently saving his life. But with the loss of both his parents and his job, and a struggle with survivor’s guilt, he turned to drinking and gambling to distract himself. At first it was a beer most every night, and then twenty minutes at the local pub. But over time, he lost himself in the glass bottles flashing lights and his family’s meagre finances suffered for it.
It was supposed to be Joseph’s 13th birthday. But instead of candles and cake, Joseph watched as his mother got upset with his father. That was the first time his father smacked his mother. Very quickly, addiction and abuse became synonymous for Basil, as he tried to find more and more money to blow on his vices and subsequently took his frustrations out on Maria. Joseph and his siblings would sit huddled together in the dark of Jordan’s room, waiting for the screaming and smashing of glass to stop.
One day, after two years, Jordan stood up for his mother. Jane was out on a sleepover, and he’d told Joseph to stay where he was. Moments later, the screaming and smashing of glass became much more violent. When he heard his mother wailing and the sound of punches landing, Joseph grabbed the revolver his father kept in his room and ran downstairs. What waited for him around the corner of the wall seared itself into his memories. Basil, panting as he stopped beating Joseph bloody, turned to see his younger son pointing the gun at him. Basil raised his hands, but the seething look in his eyes was enough justification.
Before Joseph pulled the trigger, his Gyft manifested in a way neither he nor his father expected. The bullet shot through the trick-mirror Joseph created behind his father and Joseph watched as blood and brains splattered on the kitchen cupboards. He was frozen in place, ears ringing, and didn’t hear Jordan weakly calling out to him. When he finally ran over to Jordan, his older brother snatched the gun from Joseph and told him to call the police.
He never heard his older brother’s last words over the sound of their mother’s crying.
When the police arrived, they went over the scene with a fine-tooth comb. They concluded Jordan had shot Basil in self-defense before dying and Joseph, being the one who called emergency services, had found them like this. Barely recovered from the trauma, Maria packed up what was left of her family and they moved into the flat above the grocery store.
Eventually, Joseph joined the Iron Gate Police Division (IGPD) and spent time training as a cadet. He reunited with his childhood friend and now fellow officer Elena Hawke, and the two rose through the ranks together. After spending so much time together on the job, Joseph confided in Elena about his sexuality and his fears. Elena suggested presenting to their friends and family as dating, to cover for Joseph, and the two agreed to be boyfriend and girlfriend.
Not long after, Joseph spent time on a case that took him into Elysium Heights. Ordinarily, the Boys Upstairs would’ve swooped in and taken the case. By chance, Joseph ended up returning a stolen necklace to Simon Liu: a wealthy art collector who lived near the Apollo Quarter. The two spent the night together, starting an adulterous relationship. A few days later, Joseph found out that he had been promoted to the rank of Sergeant and reassigned to the EHPD. At the same time, Joseph received title to an apartment near his new workplace; coincidentally, a few blocks away from his new paramour.
Nowadays, Joseph is struggling to manage a fine balance between family, his ‘girlfriend’, working his job with officers that look down on him, and his new and mysterious secret boyfriend.__________
Alliance: Detective
District: Elysium HeightsA veritable bubble of affluence where the rich live insulated and decadent lives. Tall stone fences and gilt metal gates, lengths of green lawns and trimmed hedges, and fountains with marble carved in the likeness of fabled figures. And then there’s the manors: the style of the common Elysium home is white walls and contrasting red tile roofs, accentuated with Grecian columns and artificially overgrown to give the impression of enduring timelessness. The buildings may not be tall in Elysium Heights, but they cast a long shadow over Iron Gate nevertheless.
The Apollo Quarter
A centre of music and the arts, the Apollo Quarter is constantly illuminated at night by a rotation of different light installations by modern artists and light technicians. Here stand the Amphitheatre, place of both scholarly discourse and famous comedies or tragedies; and the Olympus Galleria, where artists are either made or their legacies preserved.
The Dionysus Quarter
Connected to the Apollo Quarter by an overhang bridge, the Dionysus Quarter is the night to Apollo’s day. All the best cafes, bars and clubs are zoned and located here. For a night out in Elysium Heights, crossing from Apollo to Dionysus after complimentary champagnes has become a mandated tradition. The most notable places in the Dionysus Quarter are the Olive Garden cafe, Hera’s Cup rock n’ roll bar, and the Erebus nightclub.
EHPD ‘The Spire’ HQ
Seat of power for the EHPD. Although technically the tallest building in Elysium Heights, The Spire is only named because of the elevator that connects it and the IGPD police station below. Still, The Spire is host to numerous facilities typical for a Major Crimes-focused division. Here, the Boys Upstairs gather and do less real work than the laziest artists over in the Apollo Quarter. They are much more content to collect a paycheck for bossing around the Ironskins with sickening glee..
Joseph has an office at The Spire, but he tries not to spend as much time in it as he does in the field. By doing so, he avoids his sneering colleagues while doing actual police work.
Rich Lifestyle, Commercial and Residential 1-Story Buildings
Generates 3 Wealth every GM post from Drugs, or Taxes
Generates 5 Non-Gyft Personnel every GM post
Faction: Elysium Heights Police Division (EHPD) 'The Boys UpstairsThe EHPD is to the IGPD as Major Crimes is to beat cops; inflated with self-importance and hopped up on authority that comes with operating in a wealthy district. The ‘Boys Upstairs’ (as affectionately named by the ‘Ironskins’) spend more time lording over the IGPD than they do solving real crimes on their own. They’re more likely to ‘swoop’ in and steal cases worked by cops that come to Elysium Heights, citing jurisdiction religiously.
And then there’s their side hustle: being the cudgel for the rich who live in Elysium Heights. The officers of the EHPD are not above taking favours to arrest whoever the 1% point their gilded finger at. Lorded over by Captain Maxwell Stone, the Boys Upstairs are led by example and their leader is no paragon of virtue. Joseph hopes to one day change things within the division, despite being alienated by both the Boys and the Ironskins.__________
Gyft: Trick MirrorJoseph conjures two perfectly similar mirrors in different positions. The mirrors are connected and allow objects to be transported through them as though they were a window through reality. The mirrors are only as big as 3 inches in radius. Conventionally, Joseph uses his Gyft offensively to make 'trick shots' on enemies or objects.
Mechanics:
- 3 inch wide mirrors
- 120 ft distance within Line of Sight
- Lasts 10-3 seconds depending on distance; can be cancelled early.
- Transports objects through either end.
- Can transport limbs (eg. to punch someone) but isn't recommended as the mirror will amputate if it closes early.
- Opens and closes within 0.3 seconds.
- Angles can differ between mirrors.
- The mirror does not move.
- Only one pair of mirrors can be used at any time.
- Cooldown of 10-60 seconds, depending on distance.
Limitations and Weaknesses:- Works both ways. If anyone is on the other side of a mirror, they could use it themselves.
- Near useless in mobile fights.
- Both mirrors shatter if the back or rim is hit with enough force to shatter tempered glass.
- Too small to be used as a portal.Elena Hawke
Ang Espada ‘The Sword’ | 22 | Female | 5’7” | 122lb
Goal: To make Iron Gate a safe place for the people again; to find what happened to her mother.
Secrets: She harbours Joseph’s secret about his sexuality.
Fears: Fire, Elena has a deep-rooted fear of being trapped in a burning building.
History: Elena’s mother, Julia, was one of the descendants of the Filipino immigrants that first came to Nocturnia. She had grown up with Maria after the wall went up and the two were close friends. Julia later fell in love with Jackson, a policeman of British descent from Gray Heights, and the couple moved in together in Jackson’s apartment on the edge of Gray Heights. They were wed before they had Elena as their first and only child.
Julia kept close ties with Maria, and their kids would play together on their playdates at each other’s places. Jackson was hesitant to let Julia and Elena keep visiting the Condoys since they lived in Iron Gate, and crime was on the steady rise. Julia, however, insisted on its importance. Hence, Elena became good childhood friends with Joseph Condoy.
Peace didn’t last forever. When grandma Condoy was mugged and left for dead, Jackson put his foot down and said they weren’t going into Iron Gate any longer. Elena saw Joseph less and less, and eventually they didn’t see each other when they needed one another the most.
When the relay station was destroyed and plunged Iron Gate into darkness, delinquents of all kinds emerged from the depths. They rampaged through Gray Heights, looting and burning. Jackson told his wife and daughter to stay put while he investigated. Then Julia hid Elena in the wardrobe with the door locked just before a man broke down the front door. Elena could do nothing as she heard an argument and then a struggle. When everything went quiet, Elena struggled with the door, but couldn’t get out.
The Hawke apartment was victim to a stray molotov cocktail. Elena could hear the fire catching, crackling, and burning. She pushed and shoved as much as she could, desperate to get out as everything felt warmer. Smoke seeped in slowly through the keyhole and Elena started to scream. It became harder to breathe, and she felt like she was surrounded by fire while trapped in a wooden box. As she struggled, her father called out to her and she responded.
Jackson shoved the wardrobe onto its side and the door came off the hinges. Scooping a coughing Elena up into his arms, Jackson braved the flames and escaped their apartment with moderate burns. Elena, for the most part, was unharmed. But Julia was nowhere to be found and their home was burnt to ashes.
Police eventually responded to the rioting and made many arrests that night. The Gray Heights Police Division relocated Jackson and his daughter, and the two moved deeper into Gray Heights. Jackson searched far and wide for his wife over the course of the next year, starting with angrily interrogating arrestees from the riots and chasing down any and every lead. He eventually backed down when his superiors convinced him there was little chance Julia was still alive. Meanwhile, Elena didn’t get to see Joseph again until they were both older.
Once she was old enough, at her request, Jackson helped Elena train. She started getting into exercise, self-defense, and even took up fencing since her father had a maintained rapier that was passed down through his family. Elena became diligent and focused, intent on joining the police force like her father to make a difference.
When she was ready, Elena disappointed her father by moving to Iron Gate and joining the IGPD. There, she reunited with Joseph and the two caught up over drinks after work. Lamenting their loss of one another during their late teenage years, they reconciled and pledged to become the best officers they could possibly be. And together, they rose through the ranks quickly by supporting each other as partners.
Eventually, Joseph confided in Elena about his sexuality and fears of being outed. She suggested she could pretend to be his girlfriend, feeling that it was the least she could do to make up for lost years. They agreed on it, and their ‘dates’ usually involved just hanging out and bitching about life.
Elena got a promotion ahead of Joseph, and the two were assigned different cases for the first time in their careers. Parting ways for just one case, they didn’t realise how much their paths would diverge. When Joseph came back from his robbery case, he was reassigned to the EHPD and promoted to Sergeant. Though they would still get together for ‘date nights’, Elena and Joseph had to part ways and see each other less.
The IGPD captain resigned soon after, and Elena landed the top job in the division. Now she has the command and authority she needs to make change happen in Iron Gate, but has to balance her responsibility and ambition carefully.__________
Alliance: Detective
District: Iron GateHere, rows upon rows upon rows of dilapidated public housing line the under-streets, and the people live in the shadow of the rich and the comfortable. Local businesses struggle to make ends meet, and eventually some turn to desperate means of survival.
The Skyway
The primary means of travel between the comfortable districts of Elysium and Grey Heights, The Skyway is a sturdy and broad highway built so that Nocturnia’s middle- and upper-class citizens could avoid ‘the dumps’ of Iron Gate. Because of the Skyway, Iron Gate’s people live in more of a shadow cast by the people that live above them.
IGPD Police Station
Elena holds an office at the IGPD, which resides on the northern corner of Iron Gate. It connects with the EHPD HQ via elevator, where the ‘Boys Upstairs' oversee the work of the Ironskins from The Spire.
Poor Lifestyle, Commercial and Residential 1-Story Buildings
Generates 0.5 Wealth every GM post from Drugs, or Taxes
Generates 2 Non-Gyft Personnel every GM post
Faction: Iron Gate Police Division (IGPD) 'Ironskins'Hardy and dependable are two words that spring to mind when somebody mentions the IGPD. Charged with keeping the peace in a trouble-prone area is a duty these officers carry out willingly. They are known as the 'Ironskins' partly because the moderate mixed pollution that often dirties their skin sometimes leaves a thin 'metal' patina.
With half of its acting force recruited from applicants within the district itself, the Iron-Skins are more inclined to work with the populace than against it when rooting out crime. However: this leads to disputes within the broader NPD, especially with the ‘Boys Upstairs' from the EHPD.
Elena has had her work cut out for her in earning the respect of the Ironskins. They still look down on her for being a woman and especially one dating Joseph, who they regard as a traitor and a lapdog for the Boys Upstairs.__________
Gyft: Spirit SwordElena has created a magic bond with her family’s rapier, allowing her to conjure it and telekinetically wield it as needed. When Elena conjures the rapier, it appears immediately in her hand. The rapier repairs itself and maintains a keen edge, but takes time before it can be used if it has been severely damaged or destroyed. In Elena’s hands, it becomes effortless to wield and can even deflect incoming bullets. Wielded telekinetically, it can be much more dangerous as it can move freely within 50m of line of sight. Theoretically, Elena could replace the rapier and bond with a different kind of sword but she prefers to keep the rapier.
Limitations and Weaknesses:- At least one hand has to be free to conjure the blade before it can be used telekinetically.
- Spirit sword disappears as soon as Elena is dazed or falls unconscious.
- Spirit sword takes on the form of what was bonded, and while its durability is notably increased it is not indestructible.
- Takes 1 - 6 hours to regenerate if the sword was broken or destroyed, depending on the damage.
Presenting my characters for judgement. ✨🙏✨
I like them both! As previously discussed I'm happy to hand over Elysium heights to give you a boosted entry so you're on a level compared to everyone else, also lets me step out a bit from worrying about playing the game strategically and can focus on player interaction, world building and GM'ing.
Only two things that will need to be updated:
- As per Savant's point, having one main character for the faction would be more appropriate. You're still more than welcome to play with internal strife between the two characters and have them usurp eachother. The general rule I'll put to this though is that you aren't allowed to do this conviently for strategic reasons so it can't be cheesed.
- As per Yankee's point, Elena should have her own secrets concerning herself too. This is just so other players can use it as a hook to include you and Elena in the game through collabs or interactions, also helps me fuel the story as to what is relevant to your characters ^_^.
Also thank you both @The Savant and @Yankee both for helping out~ ^w^.