Updated: October 3, 2024

Updated: October 3, 2024

Reworked Character #8: Clark Still

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death and human experimentation.

Real name: Clarkeston Vince Stillwater

Esper title: Avatar of Flora, Wind, Vitality Syphoning, and Physical Adaptability

Aliases: Hard-Boiled Assassin and Coolness in the Strong

Occupation: Lieutenant Colonel of the Ikari Warriors and a tactical spy for the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. (formerly)

Retirement plans: Live in a cabin near a lake abundant with fish and become a professional photographer

Special skills: Survival mastery in many kinds of rough terrain, proficiency in wrestling and grappling, gathering information for missions, sniping with lightweight firearms, and ichthyology

Esper abilities: His go-to esper ability is the Argentine Backbreaker, which enables him to effortlessly lift and throw a wide range of targets, including humans, Martians, Invader Drones, smaller mutants, zombies, mummies, Sasquatches, medium-sized to larger tanks, and larger helicopters, before slamming them into the ground. He’s invincible to weak physical attacks, bullets, and smaller missiles, and can cut through almost anything by generating telekinetic soundwaves with swift hand movements. When activating his infrared x-ray vision, he can see through walls and perceive the heat signatures of people. He has three frilly fish gills located underneath the area of his lungs, allowing him to adapt to an underwater environment. He possesses the cunning predatory instincts of a fox, the acute hearing of a deer, and the swift running speed of a rabbit.

He possesses the ability to manipulate the motion and intensity of wind as well as control the growth, decay, and movement of flowers and vines. He possesses an additional pair of lung-like organs situated on his upper back, between his spine, connected to a pouch located directly behind the pharynx and pointing towards the opening of his mouth. This pouch is sealed by two wrinkled skin flaps covered in mucousal hairs. It can be opened to release a purplish-green breath that contains a deadly poison, causing brain hemorrhaging and organ dysfunction. Clark is immune to the poison contained within his specialised lungs, but occasionally, he inadvertently inhales air into that specific organ. It triggers a cough due to the irritating sensations and causing him to release a small amount of his toxic breath.

His skin contains four types of microscopic pigments: xanthophores, iridophores, melanophores, and leucophores. Unlike other animals, he possesses exceptional control over these specialised colour-changing pigments, enabling him to seamlessly blend into his surroundings. Additionally, he can temporarily render objects and people invisible by scratching or spitting on them. Clark can open the small, closed holes located slightly below the centre of his palms, revealing a seven-petaled flower-like structure. From this, he can extend cartilage pipes covered in spikes with a metallic bronze sheen and a blunt, tri-holed tip from which flame-coloured veins are released. He uses the pipes to pierce the hearts or brains of individuals, utilising the emitted veins to syphon their life energy, thereby healing his wounds, revitalising his physical strength, and preventing his own demise.

Hobbies: Reading books on interesting subjects such as the biology of fish and the history of secret societies, collecting guns, playing casino games, photography, and fishing

Likes: Rugby, his sunglasses, reading gun catalogues, successful fishing expeditions (especially when he catches rare fish), and sharing a couple of drinks with Ralf

Dislikes: The awkward movement and gimmicky controls of the Slugs, being woken up by loud construction noises, people doing obviously stupid things, betrayal of trust, and arson

Favourite food: Oatmeal, tuna and onions pizza, and caramel and cheese popcorn

Sexuality: Heteroromantic asexual

Gender: Male

Age: 23 (in 2022), 29 (in 2028), 31 (in 2030), 33 (in 2032), 35 (in 2034), 42 (in 2041), 44 (in 2043), 45 (in 2044), and 48 (in 2047)

Blood type: A-

Weight: 231 lbs. (104 kg)

Design: He’s a 6’ 3” (190.5 cm) Canadian mesomorph with an inhumanly imposing build, robust musculature, and semi-sloping shoulders. He has pale purple eyes with flecks of magenta, warm beige skin, and a rose gold quiff with subtle curls (it was once a honey blonde). A large patch of burned flesh extends from his left cheek, across his deltoid and shoulder, to the back of his trapezius. He bears a series of small scattered cut marks and a few stab wounds on his arms and torso. Additionally, he has two gunshot wounds, one located above his right kidney and the other near the left side of his navel. He has a long jagged scar on his right cheek, running from the underside of his ear to the centre of his upper lip. The skin on his arms and legs is a charred bluish-black and has a few stitches, and it can be a tad stiff at times, so he often asks Fio to give his limbs a well-kneaded massage.

Clark’s military gear consists of a light cyan tank top, a Bondi blue headband, and purplish-black elbow and knee pads. He always wears a cobalt blue cap with an embroidered Canada jay with outstretched wings, holding an olive branch in its talons. He wears purple-tinted sunglasses to hide a scar on his glabella, caused by Ralf's careless handling of his combat knife. He wears a cobalt blue waterproof vest adorned with the Ikari Warriors logo on the back and lined with grey fox fur. A white magnolia flower is pinned on the left side, just above his deltoid muscle. The vest contains two hidden strapped compartments, each capable of holding two firearms, but one is often occupied by a shotgun or flame shot.

He wears a fallow brown wristband with black spikes on his right hand and a blue-green glove with a silver eye surrounded by rays of light embroidered on the palm of his left. He has cargo pants with an army green, brown, and silver-grey camouflage pattern, tucked into his Persian indigo jungle boots. Clark wears a fallow brown belt with six black pouches for bullets and a holster for his handgun. He also carries a Japanese violet waist pack that holds bandages, a small package of cotton swabs, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and four rechargeable batteries for his camera. He wears two black drop leg holsters, each featuring two pointed silvery stripes that form a triangular pattern, holding his combat knife on the right and an electrical baton on the left.

Over his tank top, he wears a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) with a MultiCam pattern, carrying his walkie-talkie and ammo for other firearms. He wears two dark brown bandoliers, crossed in an X-shape, with the left one holding throwing knives and the right one holding ammunition for his handgun. Clark carries a fallow brown load-bearing backpack containing camping equipment, tactical explosives, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, and a bluish-black digital camera. He also carries a comprehensive fishing kit, complete with various baits and lures, hooks, a rod, floats, monofilament lines, braided lines, fluorocarbon lines, and spincast, baitcasting, spinning, and fly reels. Additionally, he treasures a photo album filled with pictures he's taken from his teenage years to the present, holding it dear as a cherished keepsake. He wears a pair of small silver hoop earrings and conceals a portable, jagged piece of Sol Dae Rokker's red gem in the left pocket of his cargo pants. The red gem appears to be powerless except when reacting to the presence of individuals with malicious intent or those who pose a potential threat.

Thanks to Tarma, he owns a key to access his periwinkle-coloured Velocette MAC motorcycle, which has dark cyan outlining.

Super Devil form: He’s a 16 ft (487.68 cm) wolpertinger-like entity with a slender build, disproportionately muscular arms, and a body encased in iridescent blue-grey scales. Clark boasts a feline head with the left side of his face gruesomely rotted, distinguished by rose gold fur, a silver-grey snout, and fallow brown eye patches. It has majestic Persian indigo elk antlers, elegantly adorned with white magnolia flowers and delicate patches of hanging moss. The head features two jutting fangs and luminous pale purple eyes, accented with magenta flecks and blue-green pupils. He boasts a majestic mane of fluffy light grey clouds and razor-sharp black claws that seem to be forged from a resilient, crystalline material. He wraps himself in a shawl of rippling bluish mist, surrounded by a light scattering of purple leaves that flutter around him, circling his head like a halo.

His fingers are adorned with light cyan webbing, while his back features six prominent vertical cobalt blue streaks. He possesses four majestic 17 ft (518.16 cm) Canada jay wings and an additional pair of arms situated on his inguinal regions. Clark’s lower half is that of a grey fox, featuring silver claws and twelve symmetrically arranged purplish-black eyes along both sides of its back, extending to the base of its tail. His Smith's bush squirrel tail is entwined with a spiky, verdant vine, while the grey fox body's hind legs are replaced by fleshy, charred tree roots that twitch spasmodically and subtly ripple.

Character summary: He's a wise, introspective, hard-boiled, self-disciplined, and self-reliant pescatarian with a stoic demeanour, rarely showing emotion and possessing a taciturn personality. Initially shy and reserved around strangers, he gradually opens up and becomes more talkative and less aloof once he gets to know them. He exudes an unsettling calmness, intensely focused on his professional duties and the safety of others. While watchful and serious, he's not above showing a more playful side, engaging in witty banter and dark, dry humour. Clark often uses sarcasm to tease Ralf about his stubbornness and rowdiness, yet he deeply cherishes him as both his closest ally and surrogate brother. He genuinely worries about Ralf's well-being and will go to great lengths to ensure his happiness, offering comfort and support during difficult times. He frequently enjoys joking around with Ralf, while also keeping a watchful eye to prevent his friend from getting into trouble or engaging in destructive behaviours.

He’s fiercely loyal to Ralf, his comrades, and friends, and will only consider betraying those close to him if presented with compelling reasons. He serves as a father figure to Rumi, cherishing her company, particularly after a gruelling mission, and harbours concerns about her safety whenever she's deployed to the battlefield. He has a strong aversion to obstinate stubbornness and betrayal of trust, finding them frustrating and inconsiderate. He adores his pets, Sparky, a rambunctious and playful young charcoal Bengal cat with white “goggle” markings and black rosettes, and Mr. Kibleton, a grumpy but affectionate older chocolate smoke Exotic Shorthair cat. He’s devoted to giving them a happy and fulfilling life, providing attentive care and showering them with love and affection.

Notably, aside from Ralf, he shows unexpected support and empathy towards those he genuinely cares about, offering a helping hand when they need it most. Clark is kind-hearted but brutally honest, harbouring a strong disdain for dishonesty, exploitation, and showboating. He has a low tolerance for liars, cheaters, and those who try to take advantage of him or his loved ones. With a keen eye for deceit, he isn't afraid to confront and expose wrongdoers, often calling them out in a blunt and uncompromising manner. He demonstrates significant respect for war veterans, elders, individuals he values, and authority figures who uphold moral justice.

He personally believes that everyone has the capacity to act in accordance with their own moral compass and make decisions based on their unique needs and values. Furthermore, he holds that every individual has an inherent and inalienable right to freedom and personal autonomy, and that suppressing this right is a violation of basic human dignity. It takes a lot for him to get angry, and when it happens, he appears menacing and difficult to approach. Clark gets easily annoyed when people do something he considers stupid or utterly absurd.

He's a light sleeper, prone to occasional sleep-talking and plagued by vivid nightmares that linger into the next day, haunting memories of the experiments he endured and the tragic loss of his parents and comrades. He has a melancholic and cynical side, and in the heat of battle, he sometimes trusts his instincts over strategic planning. Like Ralf, he enjoys diving headfirst into combat, using everything at his disposal, revealing his occasional impulsiveness and craving for adrenaline. He wouldn't hesitate to fiercely confront and verbally or physically shred anyone who tries to harm a child or one of his friends and comrades. He has some trauma that he's slowly coming to terms with, and a deep-seated fear of medical needles and laboratories, which causes him to panic when in their presence.

Backstory: Clarkeston Vince Stillwater was born on May 7, 1999 in Twillingate, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He was born into a loving family that deeply valued the great outdoors, individual freedom, and their diverse expertise. His father, Kenrick Stillwater (commonly referred to as Kent), was a fisherman and a well-respected private detective, and his mother was a successful commercial photographer. He spent countless hours on fishing trips with his dad, Kent, who taught him the ins and outs of fishing, including which hooks and baits to use for each species. Kent also ignited his fascination with the criminal justice system and the complex psychology of criminals. Meanwhile, his mother nurtured his creative side, gifting him a digital camera and photo album on his sixth birthday. She guided him in taking professional-quality photographs, developing Polaroids, and exploring various photography genres.

At the age of 8, he tried out rugby and discovered a passion for the sport, although he only plays when he feels like it. He showed a natural talent for rugby, particularly when playing fullback during pickup games with friends in Crow Head at Sea Breeze Park. By the time he turned 11, he began regularly visiting a new library that had been built near his community two years earlier. He cherished the library's vast collection of intriguing books and the peaceful atmosphere, where patrons were genuinely quiet and respectful. His reading interests spanned various subjects, including criminology, military history, and the occult. He also enjoyed reading about secret societies, undercover operations, philosophical explorations of freedom, and ichthyology.

Before turning 12, he started experiencing symptoms such as persistent fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, recurring headaches, shortness of breath, and pulsatile tinnitus. As his condition worsened, he was forced to discontinue playing rugby altogether. This prompted concern from his parents, who quickly arranged a doctor's visit. Following a medical evaluation, he and his parents learned that he had been diagnosed with anemia, a blood disorder that runs in his father's family. The news disheartened him, but his parents did everything they could to keep him healthy, ensuring he received the best care for his condition. They encouraged him to continue pursuing his hobbies, focusing on those that were less physically taxing, such as reading and photography.

Despite his health complications, his life had been running smoothly, and he was doing alright in school, but this stability was short-lived. Just four months after his 14th birthday party, disaster struck. While he was asleep, his family home was engulfed in flames, set deliberately by unknown assailants seeking revenge against his father's refusal to comply with local criminal demands regarding fishing quotas. As the fire alarm blared, Clark caught a whiff of smoke and sprang out of bed, panic setting in as he heard the faint sound of firefighting sirens in the distance. In that harrowing moment, with smoke filling his lungs and fear gripping his heart, he experienced a sudden surge of energy coursing through his body.

Clark quickly ran out of his bedroom with his digital camera and photo album, desperately searching for his parents. But what he found was his mother, burning alive. Overcome with horror, he tried to exit the building, but the flames nearly trapped him. In a split second, he subconsciously summoned a harsh gust of wind, dissipating the flames and allowing him to escape. As he stumbled out, he saw Kent's lifeless body lying near the front porch, his throat slit and his face brutally stabbed multiple times. He broke down in tears, consumed by grief, cradling his father’s body in his arms. When the firefighters and police arrived, they were met with the devastating scene. One kind-hearted officer took Clark in, providing temporary shelter. Unbeknownst to him, the officer had also contacted the Regular Army. The next day, the Regular Army adopted him, providing shelter, food, clothes, and a new sense of purpose.

A few days after the incident, he received a revelation dream that unveiled his esper title and the key to unlocking his Super Devil form and harnessing his newfound abilities. However, the dream's cryptic nature left him struggling to fully grasp its meaning, hindering his ability to effectively wield his esper powers. Furthermore, he was physically weak due to his anemia, which made his esper training even more challenging and arduous. The Regular Army higher-ups took notice of his struggles and ordered the Amadeus Syndicate scientists to conduct experiments on him, aiming to enhance his abilities and overcome his limitations.

He doesn't recall much of this period in his life because he was constantly kept in a drowsy state. However, he recalls being injected with mysterious drugs that altered and reconstructed his muscles and brain chemistry, miraculously curing his anemia in the process. The experiments were agonising and left lasting scars, including charred bluish-black skin and stitches on his limbs. This incident would also cause him to have terrifying hallucinations, such as seeing blood pouring down the walls and hearing whispering voices that sang incoherent lullabies. The traumatic experiences left him with a deep-seated fear of needles and laboratories as well as a profound mistrust of the Amadeus Syndicate.

During his basic training to become a peacekeeping scout for the Regular Army, he learned valuable lessons in discipline and camaraderie. However, he struggled to come to terms with intense feelings of abandonment and anger stemming from his parents' deaths. Tequila, noticing Clark's aloofness and difficulty connecting with others due to his timidity and unresolved trauma, approached him with kindness. He invited him to a trip to Yr Wyddfa in the Snowdonia region of North Wales, which Clark quietly accepted. The trip proved to be a turning point, as Tequila shared wise words on coping with his emotions and managing his past. From that day forward, Tequila became Clark's mentor, offering guidance and invaluable insights into the ways of a Regular Army soldier and Intelligence Agency agent.

After completing his training and successfully executing several missions as a tactical spy for the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. of the Intelligence Agency, Clark discovered a thriving mercenary group, the Ikari Warriors, was gaining popularity. He then attempted to resign from his position in the Regular Army, but initially faced resistance. However, following repeated requests, his superiors eventually accepted his resignation, recognizing that his unique expertise could be valuable in supporting the Ikari Warriors' missions by gathering crucial intelligence. He joined the Ikari Warriors after demonstrating his skills as a spy and esper by chasing down a disguised terrorist who had infiltrated the biennial tournament. He expressed his commitment to preserving global peace, earning his place among the team.

Upon joining, he befriended Leland and Eikichi, who were fascinated by his esper status and drawn to his kind and mellow demeanour. He also befriended Byron, bonding over their shared love of fishing. Clark’s heroics in single-handedly saving General Kawasaki's and Second Lieutenant Cook's mercenaries from a surprise counterattack by a powerful Mafia organisation earned him their respect. Later, he befriended Ralf, another esper, and they quickly became close friends after collaborating on a mission to take down a corrupt politician.

He frequently partnered with Ralf on numerous missions for the Ikari Warriors, including rescuing Elise, the U.S. President's daughter, from a criminal organisation and dismantling the Serapion Fellowship that was harming Latin America. For his heroism in saving the President's daughter, he received the Medal of Honor, but he prefers to keep it private, as he dislikes drawing attention to himself. His unwavering loyalty and impressive successes as a fighter and spy earned him a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.

However, he and Ralf suffered a series of devastating losses, including the deaths of General Kawasaki, Second Lieutenant Cook, Eikichi, Leland, and Byron in separate incidents, each of which was difficult to bear. During General Kawasaki's funeral, he remembered Tequila's words that the white magnolia symbolises deep, unspoken trust. He incorporated the flower into his attire as a reminder of his loyalty to those he cares about, both living and deceased. It's commonly believed that after Ralf saved the United States from being taken over, Clark played a crucial role in grabbing the Regular Army's attention and convincing them to establish a mercenary branch by forming an alliance with the Ikari Warriors.

Updated: October 4, 2024

Reworked Character #9: Tequila

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, torture, suicide, child abuse, cannibalism, crime, alcoholism, and divorce.

Real name: Sermeg Bracquemond-Kagamihara (he legally changed his name to Sosuke N. Kanikoja)

Alias: Maestro of a Thousand Skirmishes

Nickname: Tequila

Occupation: Lieutenant General of the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., Brigadier General of the Regular Army, Army Chief of Staff for the Rebel Army (formerly), and mercenary for the Theophylaktos Union (formerly)

Retirement plans: Open a florist shop, become a philanthropist dedicated to supporting child welfare and war veterans, and establish a company that designs and manufactures affordable, electric vehicles

Special skills: Coordinating covert missions, and training programs for new recruits, proficiency in tactical planning and the operation of heavy machinery, mastery of disguise, and rescuing hostages

Esper abilities: His body possesses a unique adaptive ability, granting him resistance to extreme temperatures, toxins, and other hazards. In response to environmental stressors, his organs automatically secrete a protective, opalescent slime that coats them. This slime serves as a barrier, preventing harmful microorganisms from entering his body and shielding him from infections and diseases. It also repels toxic substances and deadly gases, safeguarding his organs from damage. Furthermore, the slime produces purplish-black cells that play a crucial role in his thermal resistance, helping to regulate his body temperature and enabling him to withstand extreme heat or cold temperatures

Moreover, he's able to intentionally shed his skin, peeling it off like a removable garment. Following its removal, his skin rapidly regenerates through a self-materialising process, restoring his epidermal layer. This process allows him to remove harmful organisms that may have attached to or burrowed into his skin. Shedding contaminated skin also enables him to regenerate healthy tissue and develop enhanced immunity and resistance to biological hazards, including toxins, bacteria, and other harmful substances.

By leveraging his photographic memory and manipulating his genetic code and organic mass, he can shapeshift into any form he has visually memorised. He can also teleport short distances, allowing him to suddenly disappear and reappear in locations with which he has partial or full familiarity. He boasts flexibility rivalling that of an octopus due to his extreme hypermobility, and agility nearly identical to that of a cheetah. Furthermore, his senses are incredibly acute, featuring eyesight as keen as an eagle's, hearing as sensitive as a bat's, a sense of smell as discerning as an elephant's, and touch sensitivity as refined as a star-nosed mole's. When sensing the presence of danger or untrustworthy individuals within his range of sight and hearing, his mind instantly kicks into fight or flight mode, impairing his impulsivity and heightening his hypervigilance. This triggers a sudden surge of adrenaline, preparing his body to either confront the threat or flee to safety.

He can clearly read emotions and thoughts by proximity to an individual's aura within a 6 ft (182.88 cm) boundary. Additionally, he possesses psychometry, granting him access to accurate knowledge of an object's or person's history through physical contact, which triggers brief yet remarkably vivid visions. He can sense celestial events, planetary alignments, and cosmic anomalies, allowing him to vaguely predict global changes. Furthermore, he can passively sense environmental changes to predict weather, earthquakes, and other meteorological and geological events.

He has two black half-spheres, one in the centre of each palm, which possess a red-violet lustre and serve three distinct purposes. Firstly, they enable him to manipulate the organic fabric of sentient life forms and the four elemental forces that comprise the cosmos: earth, air, water, and fire. Secondly, they allow him to absorb memories and knowledge from the freshly deceased and bodies in various stages of decay. Lastly, by touching a sentient being or placing his hand in close proximity to one, they grant him the ability to communicate with them telepathically.

Hobbies: Gardening (especially cultivating deadly plants and sweet-smelling flowers), playing underground poker games, watching demolition derby events, tinkering with and customising his own vehicles, and engaging in friendly fire incidents during covert missions with military organisations

Likes: Gourmet grilling, the innocent curiosity of children, enjoying a drink after a long battle, the symbolism and cultural significance of flowers, and exploring exotic destinations and natural wonders

Dislikes: Captivity, troublemakers, being stuck in tight spaces (especially during an escape), bureaucratic red tape, and witnessing his comrades and children being exploited and oppressed or caught in situations of gratuitous violence

Favourite food: Tequila (tequila sunrise is his most favourite) and his own gourmet grilled food

Sexuality: Panromantic graysexual

Gender: Male

Age: 50 (in 2022), 56 (in 2028), 58 (in 2030), 60 (in 2032), 62 (in 2034), 69 (in 2041), 71 (in 2043), 72 (in 2044), and 75 (in 2047)

Blood type: A-

Weight: 109 lbs. (49 kg)

Design: He’s a 5 ft (152.4 cm) Canadian-Guatemalan ectomorph of French and Japanese descent with a lean, semi-lanky build, subtle softness around the midsection, and a weak yet surprisingly stocky musculature. He has sloping shoulders, beige skin (it was pale ivory during his younger years), and a small black mole on the right side of his chin. He has a missing second premolar on his lower jaw and heterochromia eyes: his right eye is a medium sky blue and his left eye is a deep cyan. Tequila sports a brownish-black spiky crew cut dyed a light auburn, which is paired with sideburns, semi-bushy eyebrows, and a slightly dishevelled five o'clock shadow. On his right outer thigh, he has a tattoo depicting a seven-horned Lamb of God, its legs bound, holding an olive branch in its mouth. The lamb is set against a backdrop of a gilded Chi Rho symbol (☧), which is encircled by a radiant, flaming aureola.

He bears numerous battle scars from past encounters, including: half of his upper back being heavily burned; a series of jagged cuts on his left arm caused by shrapnel; a deep, curved scar on his temple; a thin, horizontal knife scar on his chin; a slight cut on his left cheek from a bullet that flew past him; and a bullet wound below the right side of his diaphragm. Tequila also has a series of deep stab wounds on his right shoulder and right lumbar region, a severed tendon (flexor carpi ulnaris) in his left forearm, and a partially cut left thumb. After being experimented on, his body underwent significant transformations: his muscles now have a coppery hue with bronze streaks, his neck is adorned with bearded vulture feathers, his bones are gilded and steel-hard, and his legs are covered in shaggy, greenish-black fur.

His military gear consists of brass-plated goggles with yellow-orange lenses, a navy blue bandana mask, a bone white tank top with a slight rip just above the left hip, and greenish-black gloves. He wears army cargo pants in a camouflage pattern featuring cerulean, lavender grey, and Cambridge blue, which are tucked into spike-soled liver brown combat boots. His pants have two crudely stitched patches: a triangular brownish-red one on the right knee and a rectangular steel blue one on the middle of his left outer thigh. Tequila wears a metal dog tag necklace with his name, navy blue elbow and knee pads, a leather belt, a sheath for his combat knife, and a drop leg holster for a handgun with a silencer. A Prussian blue waist pack is secured to the back of his belt, containing a bronze-finished flask filled with his tequila cocktail of choice for the day.

He wears a linden green flight jacket, often left unzipped, featuring a brown wolf-fur lining, a metallic silver zipper, and gilded epaulets. The jacket has four pockets and boasts the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. logo emblazoned on the back. It has two hidden compartments designed for firearms, but typically stores a sheathed machete and a scoped bolt-action rifle instead. Additionally, he wears a reseda chartreuse armband on his left sleeve, adorned with the Regular Army insignia. He typically wears a blue-green Lightweight Helmet (LWH), but occasionally opts for a gold-edged wedge cap of linden green seal fur instead.

Over his tank top, he dons a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) with a cerulean, lavender grey, and Cambridge blue camouflage pattern, which carries around his walkie-talkie and ammo for other firearms. He wears three dark grey bandoliers: one draped over his right shoulder holds flashbang grenades, another over his left shoulder holds smoke bombs, and a third wraps around his waist above his belt, holding ammunition for his handgun. Tequila carries around a steel blue load-bearing backpack that contains camping equipment, tactical explosives, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, a grappling hook, and a disguise kit that adapts to the specific requirements of each mission. It also contains a rocket launcher, grenade launcher, bazooka, fire gun, missile pod, practical tools like mechanic and lockpicking sets, and a photo album filled with Polaroid pictures.

The pockets of his flight jacket carry around a metallic blue-green lighter, the key to his motorcycle, noise-cancelling earplugs, and a hundred-eyed cowrie shell, a gift from Gimlet. Tequila also carries a collection of cherished photographs: one showing him with his ex-wife, Margaret, and their late son, Thomas; another with his former team, including a young Gimlet; a third featuring a Swiss brassy ringlet on a yellow mountain flower; a fourth capturing Red Eye playfully placing an orange cat on a sleeping Donald Morden; a fifth depicting him and Clark on a mountain hike; and a sixth showing him, Marco, Tarma, Gimlet, and Red Eye, taken one year prior to the Great Morden War.

He has a stash of cigars and a half-empty pack of cigarettes tucked away in the right pocket of his army cargo pants, while his left pocket is occupied by a burgundy instant camera, a digital recorder, a silver engagement ring featuring a princess cut diamond, and a golden wedding band. Ever since he encountered a Swiss brassy ringlet during a hike through the rocky meadows of the European Alps, he fell in love with them and proudly displays a pin depicting one on the left side of his flight jacket. He wears two distinctive necklaces: a black cord with a teardrop-shaped nazar charm and a gold chain holding a pendant of the Immaculate Heart of Mary impaled by a longsword.

His custom-made motorcycle is a glaucous BMW R75, adorned with forest green cheetah spots outlined in sandy beige. The motorcycle comes with a sidecar, which serves as storage for extra supplies and his load-bearing backpack. The sidecar features an intriguing design element: a Swiss brassy ringlet on the antler of an elk skull, proudly displayed on its side. The sidecar is outfitted with a greenish-black rocket turret, while two rotating miniguns are mounted on either side of the front wheel of his motorcycle.

Character summary: He's a cunning, wise, rebellious polyglot with a strong aversion to being bossed around unjustly. As a thrill-seeker, he has a tendency to bluff and revels in the raw power and adrenaline rush that comes with high-intensity situations, which makes him feel alive. He has a strong sense of camaraderie with those he considers comrades and close friends, going to great lengths to ensure their happiness and safety. Tequila is especially devoted to Marco, Tarma, Red Eye, Gimlet, Clark, Eri, and Fio, holding their well-being in the highest regard due to the deep affection he feels for them. Depending on the situation, he can be very blunt, believing that people need to quickly learn that the truth is often a hard pill to swallow. Whenever his patience is running thin or he deems it necessary, he isn't afraid to speak his mind, though his words can be abrasive and unsettling.

Despite his perpetual weary expression, he’s a fundamentally kind-hearted and morally upright leader. Tequila is a tough-as-nails and hypervigilant individual that has a tendency to engage in occasional reckless behaviour. He has a cynical, pessimistic outlook on life, which he occasionally masks through social drinking, reading the newspaper or immersing himself in his hobbies. As an introvert with an exceptionally high intellect, he finds it challenging to connect with others. He has a deep-seated compassion and strong protective instincts towards children who are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. Tequila views it as a moral obligation to safeguard them from harm and foster a secure environment that allows them to thrive. When drunk, he exhibits clumsiness, boisterousness, sorrowfulness, physical aggression, and increased insulting behaviour (far more than usual). Additionally, he's even more likely to make awkward attempts to flirt with anyone who catches his eye.

He's particularly self-conscious about his height and extremely hates being teased about it. When someone teases him about his height, he tends to retaliate by rudely insulting them, often targeting their appearance-related insecurities. When he's feeling scared or furious towards someone who has visibly angered him, he has a habit of jumping on their back, which may follow up with an attack. Tequila has zero tolerance for cowardice and incompetence, viewing them as lame excuses for people to avoid putting in effort and failing to contribute meaningfully to their roles in society. He dislikes people who are overly pesky or slimy, individuals with a bratty and entitled attitude, unnecessary trouble, political corruption, and duplicity.

As a devout Catholic who also believes in the evil eye, he abhors war and can't help but feel a pang of sympathy for new military recruits, knowing their innocent worldview is likely to be shattered. Nevertheless, he recognizes that everyone has their own reasons for enlisting and refrains from criticising their choices. He becomes vengeful when he encounters people who have been unreasonably hurt or when he feels betrayed and devastated after losing something he deeply cares about. He’ll only betray someone or a cause if he senses that they’re crossing into morally reprehensible territory. He lives with sleep paralysis, atypical depression, and mild borderline personality disorder and PTSD. When he needs time for solitude and contemplation, he withdraws to a cozy sanctuary, wrapping himself in a fluffy blanket and using earplugs to shut out the world.

He harbours a deep-seated hatred towards his former friend, General Morden, stemming from his subsequent betrayal when Morden's megalomaniacal desire for world domination consumed him. He perceives Margaret as promiscuous and attention-seeking, disapproving of her flirtatious behaviour as a means to cope with loneliness. Despite their divorce, he still cares about her well-being and has been gradually rebuilding their relationship, attempting to alleviate her loneliness. He has a strong affinity for Gimlet, whom he sees as a surrogate son, striving to educate and guide him on the right path. However, he often finds himself disappointed by Vasser's ill-tempered bully attitude, his excessive thirst for blood and action, and his tendencies to slack off, cause mischief, and make unwanted advances towards women. He also feels deeply disappointed when Vasser disregards his advice and falls short of the standards he envisioned, which were modelled after his deceased son Thomas—an exceptionally well-behaved child with a keen mind and an eagerness to learn.

Backstory: Sermeg Bracquemond-Kagamihara was born on December 23, 1972 in Chichicastenango, Guatemala. His biological parents were Kafkasi Bracquemond, a French-Canadian construction worker from Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, and Tsukiko Kagamihara, a Japanese-Canadian entrepreneur who owned an open-air market selling homemade Japanese craft goods. He had an adoptive sister who was six years older than him named Ximena, who had been abandoned by her father, struggling with alcoholism. As expected, he had inherited Tuatha Dé Danann DNA from his parents, which became noticeable when he frequently mentioned seeing a pair of glowing red eyes watching him. Sermeg's parents had also noticed that his intelligence grew at rapid speeds, which they greatly encouraged. Between the ages of 1 and 4, he read numerous books on various subjects, including mathematics, engineering, sociology, psychology, architecture, ancient history, geography, political science, and world religions. By the age of 5, he had taught himself to speak multiple languages, including Japanese, Korean, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian, and learned about their respective cultures.

Before Sermeg's 7th birthday, his father was assassinated by a hitman in retaliation for killing the right-hand man of a prominent Québécois organised crime family near Montreal. Prior to his death, Kafkasi had fled with his wife, Tsukiko, to Guatemala. The crime family, seeking revenge and viewing Tsukiko and her children as potential assets, had planned to force them into hard labour and prostitution. Out of fear, Tsukiko made the tough decision to put Sermeg and Ximena up for adoption, hoping they would be safe. Shortly after, Tsukiko vanished mysteriously, leaving behind only speculation that she had fallen prey to the Québécois crime family's sinister activities.

They were adopted by an organ harvester named Tecuani, who took pity on them after learning about the fate of their parents. Despite his illicit profession, Tecuani went out of his way to ensure that Sermeg and Ximena were well-fed and properly educated. He even taught them essential survival skills for navigating the dangers of the streets, giving them a better chance at thriving in a challenging world. However, their time together was short-lived, as Tecuani was promptly arrested after one of his employees reported him to the police for operating an illegal organ harvesting business.

As a result, Sermeg and Ximena were placed into the foster care system, where they experienced a tumultuous journey through four different foster families. The first family was neglectful and struggled with addiction, the second was intimidated by Sermeg's abnormal intelligence, and the third, although kind and lenient, harboured an uncle who posed a sexual threat to Ximena.

Tragically, their last foster family was a source of immense pain and suffering. The foster father, a business executive named Clifford, was controlling and abusive, lashing out physically and emotionally, especially when Sermeg dared to stand up for himself. The foster mother, a psychiatrist named Magdalena, failed to provide a safe and nurturing environment, neglecting their needs and belittling them with hurtful words that preyed on their insecurities. Ximena, who had always been dear to Magdalena, struggled with depression, PTSD, and body dysmorphia, which ultimately led to her eventual suicide when Sermeg was just 12 years old.

At age 15, Sermeg joined a newly formed cartel that promised him refuge and financial assistance in exchange for killing and cannibalising his foster parents. Initially hesitant due to his disgust at the idea of consuming his abusers, he was motivated by the prospect of exacting revenge. He followed through on the cartel's demands, completing his initiation and rapidly rising through the ranks thanks to his street smarts. He played a key role in gathering valuable intelligence for the cartel's boss and devising strategic plans for financial management and tactical attacks.

To cope with his emotional pain and seek excitement, he turned to drinking various tequila cocktails, eventually leading to an addiction and a particular fondness for tequila sunrise. His struggles with addiction led to him being dubbed "Tequila" by those around him, a nickname he unexpectedly embraced as part of his identity and later adopted as his codename for military operations.

The circumstances of his departure from the cartel are unclear, but rumours suggest that the cartel was either absorbed into or annihilated by a relatively obscure cult-like guerrilla group from Venezuela known as the Theophylaktos Union. However, it's confirmed that he did join the Theophylaktos Union at age 19, becoming a skilled mercenary and spy for the organisation. He admits that he had a boyfriend during his time in the Theophylaktos Union, but their relationship was cut short when his partner was killed in friendly fire. This was also when he began exploring mechanics and constructed his first custom-made motorcycle.

At the age of 21, during a raid on a Brazilian town, he encountered a frightened child clinging to her dead mother and her severely injured younger brother. Initially, he callously shot her, believing her to be an obstacle to fulfilling the Dark Lord's supposedly twisted desires. Yet, upon reflection, he questioned his actions and his allegiance to the Theophylaktos Union, ultimately realising that this path was not for him. He subsequently retired from the group, assumed the alias Sosuke N. Kanikoja for his protection, relocated to Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, and sought rehabilitation to address his escalating alcohol addiction. He also turned to Catholicism as a way to find new meaning in life and began working as a bartender and cashier at a flower shop.

While working as a bartender, he met Hyakutaro, who had just completed a challenging mission for the Regular Army. They quickly formed a strong bond after sharing their personal struggles and aspirations. Hyakutaro encouraged him to join the Regular Army, hoping it would give him a sense of direction and purpose. Inspired by their conversation, he enlisted in the Regular Army at the age of 25 and went on to specialise in hostage rescue missions. He also developed expertise in camouflage, secret identities, and intelligence gathering, earning recognition as the Regular Army's top covert agent. His exceptional leadership skills, tactical planning, and recruitment abilities further propelled him to the rank of Brigadier General. However, his experiences soon exposed him to the harsh realities of war and corruption, witnessing the brutal deaths of many friends and comrades. These traumatic events would haunt him, fueling recurring nightmares and night terrors.

Four years after joining the Regular Army and Intelligence Agency, he was among the first to be transferred to the newly established S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. special forces unit, becoming one of its founding members, alongside Red Eye. He met Margaret Southwood shortly after the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. was established, encountering her at the Combat Academy section of the Intelligence Division. He immediately fell in love with her and decided to ask her out on a few dates, which blossomed into a romance. As their relationship grew, they eventually got married and had a single child together, naming him Thomas. Tragically, their marriage was short-lived after their five-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver. As they both struggled to cope with their grief, Margaret turned to promiscuity and Tequila turned to drinking as a means of distraction. Unfortunately, these coping mechanisms created an insurmountable rift, leading to their divorce.

At age 39, after exiting a pub and heading back to a nearby Regular Army base on his motorcycle, he noticed a malnourished teenage boy lying in an alleyway with a bruised and bloodied face. He took great pity on the boy and promptly aided him, noticing the boy's eerie silence and uncanny resemblance to Thomas. He decided to head back to the base later and instead brought the boy to a restaurant, buying him lunch. After a couple of minutes of trying to encourage the boy to speak, he finally introduced himself as Vasser Gutenschiff-Wolstenholme and shared his story of taking to the streets to escape his abusive father, Kanan. Moved by Vasser's situation and seeing it as a duty to protect children from harm, he vowed to enact vengeance. With the assistance of Vasser, he ambushed Kanan by breaking into his house, then adopted Vasser through the Regular Army's orphan program.

A couple of years after Vasser's adoption, he met Morden unexpectedly while serving with the North American Garrison, which was assisting the European Garrison and Middle Eastern Garrison in thwarting an Oceania military organisation's attempt to spark a full-scale nuclear war. Following the successful completion of this mission, they forged a bond over drinks and shared stories of their challenging childhoods. Morden also expressed his admiration for Tequila's courage in his espionage work and leadership abilities within the North American Garrison.

He would eventually become a revered mentor and friend to many, including Clark, Red Eye, Tarma, and Marco. Notably, he encouraged Vasser to join the Peregrine Falcons Squad, but this guidance had an unexpected consequence: Vasser began to reveal a more attention-seeking and bloodthirsty side, indulging in troublesome, slothful, and lecherous tendencies that led to several issues. In addition to rescuing hostages, he consistently went above and beyond to save children who were in imminent danger or at risk of harm, making their safety a top priority regardless of the mission. One mission that remains etched in his memory is when he rescued a group of children being trafficked and sold on the black market, while his team simultaneously took down the criminals responsible for this heinous crime.

He played a key role in the Arms Deal Barrage and defeating the remnants of the Serapion Fellowship, but the mission uncovered a shocking truth: the Regular Army was secretly involved in an arms deal with the aforementioned group, a revelation he shared with Gimlet, Sagan, Logan, Hyakutaro, Red Eye, Morden, and Allen O'Neil. This moment opened his eyes to the Regular Army's secret corruption, but he remained silent, fearing that speaking out would make him a target for swift assassination as a whistleblower.

Three years after the Central Park bombing, Morden secretly approached him at a bar and convinced him to defect. Believing it was a good opportunity, he quietly resigned from the Regular Army and S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. to join the Rebel Army. He excelled as a top-notch spy, often disguising himself as a Rebel in a woodland military uniform for land troops. He rose to become Morden's right-hand man, serving as the Army's Chief of Staff. However, after nearing one year of service, he discovered General Morden's true intentions and how he had fully succumbed to his megalomaniacal desires. Horrified, he promptly left the Rebel Army and defected back to the Regular Army, warning them about the impending rise of the Rebel Army. However, despite his inside knowledge, they were unable to prepare in time as General Morden successfully launched a surprise attack, overpowering them and rapidly consolidating his global dictatorship.

During the Great Morden War, he aided Marco in leading the governmental resistance against the Rebel Army. Although he held a higher military rank than Marco, he allowed Marco to take the initiative, recognizing his great potential to become a truly charismatic leader. After being ambushed by Morden and his forces, he was brutally tortured and forcibly killed in front of Marco and Tarma. However, Morden promised to bring him back in a greater form, sending his deceased body to Doctor Amadeus. Doctor Amadeus successfully revived Tequila, but as a semi-clone of Hyakutaro, significantly altering his existence.

Updated: October 4, 2024

Reworked Character #11: Red Eye

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, torture, neglect, SA, child abuse, crime, and alcoholism.

Real name: Ruoxi Adrichem (as her real self), Shufen Wei Du (prefers to go by Red Eye), and Lydia Muyskens (prefers to go by Liddy)

Esper title: Avatar of Creeping Shadows, Human Identity, Quietude, and Morality

Alias: Noiseless Spy

Nickname: Red Eye

Occupation: Major General of the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S.

Retirement plans: 

Has no idea what to do after her military service ends (As Ruoxi)

Become a neuropsychologist (As Shufen)

Foster many birds, buy a superyacht, get a girlfriend, and become a detective (As Liddy)

Special skills: 

Acrobatics, prestidigitation, managing paperwork, interrogation techniques, and detecting enemy traps (As Ruoxi)

Proficiency in infiltration, escaping captivity, and evading surveillance systems, codebreaking, sabotage, neuropsychology, and astrobiology (As Shufen)

Proficiency in anti-tank missiles, document forgery, safecracking, and ornithology (As Liddy)

Esper abilities: She can swiftly teleport up to 450 ft (137.16 metres) in front of her by manipulating the vibrations around her. Her palms and the soles of her feet are covered in microscopic, hardened hooks and a thin layer of opaque mucus, granting her the ability to scale both rough and smooth walls and ceilings with ease. When tapping into light speed, she gains hyper maneuverability and agile swiftness, enabling her to effortlessly dodge projectiles and perform complex tasks, actions, and attacks in even the most challenging situations and areas. She has complete control over shadows, allowing her to blend into darkness and move unseen, hijack a person's shadow to stealthily eliminate them, create shadowy illusions of herself, and generate tendrils to restrain her foes.

When absorbing both weak and strong light sources, she can accelerate her reflexes, enhance her spatial awareness, and propel herself at incredible velocities. This energy infusion also increases her feline flexibility and grants her perfect balance when navigating treacherous terrain and maintaining stability in intense situations. Furthermore, it amplifies her physical power, allowing her to effortlessly tear apart enemies and smash through medium-sized war machines. As her muscles become infused with the energy of various light sources, her endurance and stamina are boosted, making her highly resistant to fatigue.

She possesses a 17 ft (518.16 cm) aura that can shift between calm and soothing to anxiety-inducing and sinister, allowing her to either comfort or intimidate others at will. She can create a dome of silence, capable of accommodating up to 20 people, which muffles external sounds and distractions. She moves with complete silence and can see through any disguise by tasting a person's saliva or blood. By peering into someone's eyes, she can psychically rummage through their brain's hippocampus, amygdala, and limbic system, catching glimpses of their deepest desires and fears.

After physical contact, she can sense fluctuations in a person's moral character, emotional state, and hostility levels, regardless of the distance between them. She possesses the ability to analyse a person's moral compass and true intentions in a matter of nanoseconds by gazing into their soul. With this insight, she can redistribute karma, punishing the wicked and rewarding the virtuous. By cupping a person's face, she can summon a manifestation of their conscience, forcing them to confront the consequences of their moral choices. She can also manipulate emotions and thoughts to vividly recreate memories from a person's past, bringing their inner demons to life.

Additionally, she has the ability to shatter a person's sense of self and alter her own identity for up to 20 minutes. She possesses the ability to alter her identity by changing her physical features and shifting into one of the faces gruesome­ly etched onto the muscle fibres of her back and front torso. These eerie imprints represent the souls of the victims she has absorbed, both physically and mentally. Furthermore, this power allows her to cheat unnatural death as her body can rapidly reconstruct itself when fatally wounded, reforming into her chosen identity. However, if she extends this identity shift beyond 20 minutes, there's a risk of causing dissociation, which could potentially trap her in an alien identity.

Hobbies: 

Making origami swans, jumping frogs, and lotus flowers, practicing mentalism, scrapbooking, and parkour (As Ruoxi)

Reading books on neuropsychology and Chinese history, visiting local parks at night, developing cryptographic puzzles, completing escape rooms, and playing the banhu (As Shufen)

Birdwatching, stealing luxury items, going on expensive cruises with friends, and collecting adult animal onesies and souvenirs from the Netherlands (As Liddy)

Likes: 

Wind chimes, mixing soda drinks, the physical intensity of parkour, and recording dreams in her scrap-booked journal (As Ruoxi)

Deciphering secret messages and codes, watching psychological horror and political thriller movies, the E-Armour that Rumi gave her, extraterrestrial life forms, and isolation tanks (As Shufen)

Books on bird anatomy and psychology, frolicking through tulip fields, peering out of windows, and extravagant things (As Liddy)

Dislikes: 

Engaging in small talk and trivial conversations, her stomach being touched, rape culture, and disorganisation (As Ruoxi)

Being underestimated due to her gender, submerged artificial objects, detrimental mistakes, mindless obedience, and bright lights (As Shufen)

The idea of getting a debilitating illness, obnoxiously loud sounds, empty threats, and homophobia (As Liddy)

Favourite food: Mooncake and dragonfruit (as Ruoxi), jiaozi and herbal tea (as Shufen), and patatje oorlog (as Liddy)

Sexuality: Questioning (as Ruoxi), demiromantic asexual (as Shufen), and sex-indifferent lesbian (as Liddy)

Gender: Female (as Ruoxi and Liddy) and demigirl (as Shufen)

Age: 35 (in 2022), 41 (in 2028), 43 (in 2030), 45 (in 2032), 47 (in 2034), 54 (in 2041), 56 (in 2043), 57 (in 2044), and 60 (in 2047)

Blood type: B+

Weight: 167 lbs. (75 kg)

Design: She’s a 5’ 5” (165.1 cm) American endomorph of Dutch and Chinese descent with a pear-shaped figure, semi-sloping shoulders, and a left eye that has a dark red sheen. She has a smaller bust, a partially rounded midsection, and some of her weight carried in her upper arms and thighs. She has sand-hued skin, dull silver-grey eyes, straight dark brown copper hair, which is occasionally tied into a messy bun, and black freckles scattered across her face and neck. After undergoing experimentation, she now has pale ivory skin, blue-grey eyes, orangish-brown hair with blunt bangs, and reddish freckles. She bears several scars: whip marks on her back; a long cut mark that curves slightly, running down her upper arm; a small slice mark on the right side of her neck, just above the collarbone; and a jagged scar that extends from the left corner of her lip to the centre of her cheek, revealing a hint of her back teeth.

As Shufen, she’s a Chinese mesomorph with a semi-curvaceous body, a sturdy musculature, a subtle roundness of her midsection, and sloping shoulders. She has warm ivory skin, big umber eyes, and curly jet black hair with choppy bangs, which is usually styled in a low ponytail. She has four reddish-brown moles: one below her left eye; one above the right side of her upper lip; and two clustered near the centre of her collarbone. As Liddy, she’s a Dutch ectomorph with a rectangular build, a lean figure, a flat chest, subtle muscles, broad shoulders, and prominent thighs. She has beige skin, sunburst pink-lavender eyes, and shaggy emerald green hair with long, eye-covering bangs, which is sometimes tied into a braid. Shufen and Liddy share the same height, dark red sheen in their left eye, and scars that Ruoxi has.

Her military gear consists of a metal dog tag necklace with Ruoxi’s name, a jet black tank top, and a tomato red cap featuring an emblem of a windmill behind a roaring white tiger's head with an amber eye. She wears a tomato red Harrington jacket, adorned with the embroidered S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. logo on the back. She dons bittersweet shimmer driving gloves, a leather bandolier slung over her right shoulder, holding 9×19mm Parabellum cartridges for her dual pistols, and black combat boots. A leather belt secures her knee-length blue-green cargo pants, complete with two triangular hip vents overlaid with a lapis lazuli fishnet panel, revealing a glimpse of her black underwear. Her additional gear consists of a hatchet sheath, a combat knife sheath, and a redwood waist pack, attached to the back of her belt, holding twelve sticks of dynamite. Two drop leg holsters are strapped to her thighs: a left-side holster for her Luger P08 pistol and a right-side holster for her Walther P38 pistol.

Over her tank top, she wears a lapis lazuli ceramic-plated bulletproof vest called E-Armour, which is designed to absorb and dissipate the intense kinetic energy of tank blasts. The vest's advanced, nano-tech infused Kevlar-inspired material provides flexibility and protection. Tactical pouches integrated into the vest's lower hem securely store ammunition for her other firearms. Strategically positioned, reinforced trauma plates—sculpted to mimic toned, muscular contours—fortify the chest and midsection, ensuring critical vital organs remain safeguarded. The Regular Army insignia is emblazoned on the centre of the vest in a non-reflective, matte finish. Complementing the E-Armour vest are articulated lapis lazuli knee, elbow, and shoulder pads. Each features four strategically angled, tungsten-carbide spikes, which are designed to deflect shrapnel and incoming projectiles.

She carries around a redwood load-bearing backpack that contains camping equipment, tactical explosives, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, a thermos full of her herbal tea of choice, a red-violet laptop for codebreaking purposes, a disguise kit, a bazooka, a missile pod, a fire gun, and a banhu. The pockets of her vest carry around her walkie-talkie, a pack of mint gum, and an obsidian lighter. They also hold a keychain that Nadia bought for her during a vacation in Guangzhou, depicting an azure dragon reminiscent of the one on the national flag of China during the Qing dynasty. The dragon encircles the traditional Chinese character for “good fortune”, 福 (fú), in gold.

As Liddy, she swaps out a few pieces of clothing, donning a mauve bomber jacket with red fox fur lining and the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. logo on the back, gunmetal grey wristbands, and a steel blue T-shirt. She dons a mauve cap featuring an embroidered design of a male European green woodpecker on the side of a beech tree. Her outfit is completed with a Tyrian purple belt that secures her sky magenta cargo pants, which are tucked into gunmetal grey combat boots. She likes to wear a gold chain necklace with a common kingfisher’s head pendant, a left-handed bracelet with canine teeth-shaped jade beads, and a fuchsia lace choker with pink pearls lining the top edge. Additionally, she always carries a small, jaggedly carved piece of amethyst, a pair of dark purple binoculars, and an assortment of safecracking tools, including a thermal lance and a relocker. Furthermore, she owns two vapes: one with a baby blue exterior, featuring diagonal soft pink stripes and offering a cotton candy flavour; and a second one with a Kelly green exterior, adorned with two paradise pink circles and teardrop-shaped black accents, providing a watermelon kiwi flavour.

Super Devil form: She's an 18 ft (548.64 cm) arachnid entity with a sylph-like, twisting torso, bittersweet shimmer skin, cow-shaped ears, and sixteen arms that range from malnourished to disturbingly muscular. Her entire head is enveloped by forty emerald green serpents, each with glowing mauve eyes. A pair of 3 ft (91.44 cm) wings with jet-black feathers flank the sides of her head, occasionally spasming and flapping. Beneath the serpents lies a blank face, featuring a large mouth with prominent, crooked teeth suited for an omnivorous diet. Her elongated neck resembles a spinal cord, granting her extreme flexibility. Surrounding the base of her neck are two sets of twenty arm-length tendrils, each translucent and blue-green in colour. These tendrils are capable of moving independently and aid in absorbing light.

Her torso is a grotesque, distended abdomen-like structure, featuring a massive ribcage that opens to reveal an organic mass. The organic mass contains numerous faces, each with soulless black eyes, contorted in agonising fear. At its centre lies the flayed head and torso of her original form with pus-filled eyes and the furless forelegs of a tiger placed between her head. The torso transforms to embody her current personality, while her large mouth-eye, which has a dark red sheen, changes colour to match. The colour shifts between silver-grey, umber, and sunburst pink-lavender.

Her back is covered in a black tortoise shell rimmed with actual amber tulip heads. Eight limbs sprout from the costal scutes, each ending in three-fingered bony hands that constantly twitch and flex. She has reptilian legs equipped with blue-grey claws resembling those of a hawk and lapis lazuli footpads similar to a tiger's. A winding, serpentine tail, twice her height, extends from her body, covered in azure carp scales, similar to those on her muscular legs. Two 10 ft (304.8 cm) wings, one a sky magenta on the left and the other a redwood hue on the right, flank the base of her tail, fluttering occasionally. From the base of her tail, a wild tangle of spiky, silky smooth tomato red hair runs along its length, culminating in a tuft shaped like a raging flame.

Personality: Following a traumatic childhood, Ruoxi developed dissociative identity disorder as a coping mechanism, resulting in the creation of two distinct alter egos. Shufen is the primary and most dominant identity, while Liddy emerges at random intervals as the secondary identity. Due to Shufen’s dominance and Liddy's intermittent control, Ruoxi's core personality is considered largely dormant. Due to this, little is known about Ruoxi's personality since people rarely have the chance to interact with her.

However, she’s a polite, gentle, taciturn person who savours the tranquil moments in life and struggles with extreme trust issues. She becomes increasingly anxious around new people and has a tendency to lash out violently when she perceives someone as a threat. Initially, she treats unfamiliar people with a mix of ruthlessness and aloofness, but as they earn her trust, she gradually reveals a more empathetic and tender side. Ruoxi is a self-doubting individual who views small talk and trivial conversations as a waste of time. She has a strong aversion to disorganisation, which frustrates her and impairs her ability to think and function effectively. In addition to her disdain for predators, she also has a strong dislike for individuals who heavily rely on luck, viewing it as unpredictable and untrustworthy.

She experiences a range of symptoms including depersonalization, derealization, the inability to recall personal information, mild depressive episodes, suicidal ideation, and night terrors. She feels powerless over her life, plagued by self-criticism and self-sabotaging tendencies. As a result, Ruoxi frequently withdraws herself from others and turns to alcohol to numb her emotional pain. She has maladaptive daydreaming and struggles with feelings of frustration when others see her as pathetic as she knows she's capable of more than they perceive. Despite her deep longing for love, she paradoxically fears intimacy and avoids close relationships, instead seeking attention and validation through safer, more distant means. She’s oblivious to the fact that Shufen and Liddy are the same person as her and is often perplexed as to why people refer to her as Shufen.

Shufen is a surprisingly intimidating Buddhist, despite her innocent appearance, which makes approaching her challenging. However, she finds it amusing that both friends and foes who are unfamiliar with her are afraid of her. She often smiles as a way to unsettle her foes, creating a false sense of security, while also appearing friendly and welcoming to potential friends. She's intelligent, wisecracking, and quick-thinking, using her intellect to outmaneuver enemies, multitask with ease, and trade witty banter and humorous jokes. With unshakeable confidence, she’s supremely self-assured in her intellect, bravery, and skills as a covert agent, never once doubting her own capabilities. She possesses a strong sense of loyalty and camaraderie towards her comrades and loved ones, and she doesn’t tolerate betrayal lightly, seeking fierce retribution when it occurs.

She's a respectful, compassionate, and watchful listener who only speaks when necessary, unless she's in a talkative mood or directly addressed. She values her friendships and excels at offering emotional support and physical comfort, although she sometimes struggles to provide wise advice and deeply empathetic understanding. She takes sadistic glee in tormenting those who disgust her, and shows no mercy towards enemies and traitors, acting with cold-hearted ruthlessness. Shufen has no qualms about employing any psychological tactic to manipulate others and bend them to her will, even if she intends to discard them once they've outlived their usefulness. Despite this, she’s generally a laid-back person who appreciates the simple things in life, and it takes a lot to test her patience and put her in a bad mood.

She has a strong dislike of superficial people, bigots, detrimental mistakes, mindless obedience, and bright lights, the latter causing discomfort in her left eye. Although she tends to be a lone wolf by nature, she’s surprisingly more receptive to teamwork than Gimlet. Whenever she's bored, she has a habit of blurting out random trivia, disturbing questions, and off-colour jokes. Shufen frequently displays unimaginable fearsomeness, yet ironically has submechanophobia, specifically in relation to shipwrecks and destroyed submarines. To her, these remnants represent a disruption of the ocean's natural beauty. The thought of countless lives lost, with their watercraft destroyed either by enemies or the ocean's own power, is deeply disturbing, depressing, and anxiety-inducing.

She views Gimlet as a younger brother and strives to prevent him from making irrational decisions, while offering emotional support and physical comfort. Aware of his unhealthy romantic and sexual fascination with her, she occasionally playfully and seductively teases him about it. Despite lacking parenting skills, she surprisingly excels as a mother figure to Celaphios, fiercely protecting and nurturing her. She's a close friend of Tequila and values their time together, both during missions and off-duty. She sees him as a wise hero and enjoys listening to his stories.

Rumi is another close friend, and she enjoys discussing everything from their daily experiences to their post-mission plans. However, she deeply worries about Rumi's safety, especially when she’s inadvertently sent into battle. She admires Marco's leadership skills, finds his affection for cats endearing, and is inspired by his stoicism. However, she occasionally finds his emotional reserve concerning and is deeply disturbed by his expressions of suicidal ideation. She knows Liddy, but finds her to be annoyingly persistent and self-absorbed with a focus on maintaining a good reputation.

Liddy is a self-described germaphobe and hypochondriac who has a compulsive habit of washing and sanitising her hands frequently, especially after coming into contact with people and surfaces that may be contaminated with germs. She's a hedonist who admires the luxuries of life and indulges in things she deems extravagant and worthy of her time, but only reveals this side of herself when she's not on the battlefield. She's incredibly skilled at getting what she wants through strategic persuasion, using bribery and subtle manipulation to exploit the emotional vulnerabilities of those around her. She’s proudly lesbian and unapologetically open about her identity, but she has zero tolerance for homophobia and isn't afraid to speak out against it.

She possesses a high self-regard that she doesn't outwardly show, but her bold and assertive nature can sometimes come across as overconfident. She’s sensitive to belittling comments from others, which make her feel insignificant. She’s concerned about maintaining a good reputation among her comrades and friends, fearing that she’ll be viewed unfavourably and potentially abandoned. She tends to act impulsively in high-stakes situations and can be impatient when things move too slowly. Nevertheless, Liddy is a kind and compassionate person who delights in socialising and seeking thrilling experiences. She has a childish and affectionate side, but can quickly shift into serious and ruthless mode when the situation demands it.

She's incredibly stubborn, refusing to concede even when retreat would be the wiser option, driven by a hatred of admitting defeat. She despises boasting, hypocrisy, and empty threats, seeing them as signs of weakness. She enthusiastically shares bird facts, light-hearted jokes, and tales from her adventures. Liddy dislikes being confused with Shufen, preferring to stand on her own merits rather than being compared to a skilled tactical spy based on appearance and behaviour. She finds it amusing that Celaphios confuses her with her mother figure, Shufen, but she embraces it because she finds the young Invader Drone to be adorable and innocent.

She shares a fun-loving connection with Nadia, enjoying missions, shopping sprees, and playful antics together, appreciating her silliness and surprising intellect. She views Fio as a scaredy-cat and frequently teases her, often pranking her with insects and creepy crawlies, much to Fio's dismay. This often results in Eri giving her an earful, Marco intimidating her or Tarma politely but firmly telling her off.

Backstory: Ruoxi Adrichem was born on September 18, 1987 in Beira, Mozambique. She grew up in a tough neighborhood where physical assault, rape, break-ins, robbery, poverty, unemployment, and gang activity were commonplace. Her parents are immigrants from the United States who moved to Mozambique for unknown reasons. father, a Dutch-American, was a member of a local street gang, and her mother, a Chinese-American, financially supported his associates. Ruoxi was frequently molested and guilt-tripped by her father, while her mother physically abused her for any sign of defiance or attempts to escape. She was neglected and emotionally abused, leading to a disorganised attachment to her parents. When occasionally allowed outside, she was restricted to the local park, where other children tormented her for being vulnerable and isolated.

After a drunk stranger assaulted her near the park at just 5 years of age, Ruoxi turned to her imagination as a desperate escape from the unrelenting trauma, finding refuge in fantasy and creativity. This event would also awaken her dormant esper abilities, to which she slowly adjusted and practiced in secret, hiding her progress from her parents. She spent most of her days indoors, where she pursued her hobbies, crafting origami animals and flowers, creating personalised scrapbooks, and honing her skills in magic tricks. Origami, scrapbooking, magic tricks, and daydreaming became her forms of escapism, offering a way to find happiness and momentarily block out the trauma that had become her reality.

After turning 6, she experienced a revelation dream that revealed her esper title, sparking a newfound sense of self-assurance and a desire to enact revenge on her parents. A few months later, once she was confident enough to use her abilities, she forced her parents to confront a manifestation of their conscience before brutally murdering them via shadow manipulation. Following her actions, she grappled with intense feelings of remorse and self-reproach, leading her to hesitate using her abilities against others unless absolutely necessary.

She had finally found freedom, but it was short-lived. Her father's gang soon got involved and kidnapped her. Despite their actions, they refrained from harming her, fearing her esper abilities and status. This fear stemmed from a previous incident where she had forced one member to confront their inner demons and shattered another member's sense of self. They decided to put her up for sale on the black market, desperate to pay off their debts to drug suppliers and weapon traffickers. Ruoxi’s fate was to be sold into human trafficking, transported to a notorious red-light district in Hong Kong. She was exploited by those who would take advantage of her, and her pimp would exert power over her through coercive and abusive means on a regular basis. She would spiral into alcoholism and escape into daydreams as reality became overwhelming.

To cope with the trauma, she dissociated and developed two distinct alter egos. Shufen Wei Du embodied her confident and assertive side, allowing her to confront those who had hurt her and others, while also embracing a more carefree and open approach to life, leveraging her street smarts and academic intellect. In contrast, Lydia Muyskens, also known as Liddy, represented a childlike innocence lost too soon, but now tinged with a deep-seated fear of contamination, manifesting as germophobia and compulsive hand-washing.

When experiencing a dissociative episode as Shufen, she utilised stealth and extreme measures to break free from her captors. For the next couple of years, she survived on the streets, relying on her cunning wit, stealth skills, and intimidating presence to get what she needed and command fear from others. During this time, Ruoxi’s core personality became largely dormant, while Shufen emerged as the dominant alter ego with Liddy occasionally surfacing to assert her intermittent control.

As Shufen's influence expanded, she embraced Buddhist teachings, cultivated an appreciation for life's simple joys, and explored new intellectual pursuits in neuropsychology and cryptography. Shufen would teach herself to speak multiple languages, including Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swahili, Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, and Dutch. In contrast, Liddy revelled in a life of hedonism, stealing luxury goods, cultivating a thrill-seeking attitude, and prowling through high-end shops that caught her eye. Liddy would also develop a deep fascination with birds and begin exploring her sexual identity.

People fearfully referred to her as "Red Eye”, a nickname that Shufen herself adopted because of its ominous tone, which she liked. The Regular Army had heard rumours of a young esper roaming Hong Kong and were determined to find her. After saving a group of urban troops battling a terrorist group in her Super Devil form, the Regular Army discovered her identity as the elusive Hong Kong esper. Recognizing her potential, they welcomed her into their orphan program at the age of 12. They provided her with comprehensive support, including therapy, nutrition, clothing, and secure accommodations in Mauritius, while fostering personal growth by encouraging each personality to explore diverse interests, such as parkour and ornithology. The Regular Army aided in fostering new skills in each personality, such as interrogation techniques for Ruoxi and safecracking for Liddy, as they aimed to mould her into a formidable tactical spy.

By age 19, she was accepted into the Intelligence Agency, where her covert agent skills flourished, distinguishing her from her peers and culminating in her promotion to warrant officer. She has successfully completed numerous missions, earning a reputation that inspires awe and strikes fear into the hearts of her comrades and adversaries.

She had heard numerous stories about Tequila and aspired to emulate his excellence as a covert agent. At 21, she crossed paths with him while supporting his mission against a corrupt French regime that sought to commit genocide against people of colour. Following a trip to Mount Kilimanjaro, where she taught him to play the banhu, they formed a strong bond. However, Tequila found it challenging to connect with Ruoxi due to her anxiety around unfamiliar individuals. Initially, he was hesitant to befriend Liddy, perceiving her as immature and materialistic. Nevertheless, after a birdwatching excursion in Sri Lanka, he warmed up to her and they became friends. Following the dismantling of a rogue military organisation that had collaborated with the Pipovulaj Army for nefarious purposes, the Intelligence Agency established the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. unit, appointing her and Tequila as its founding members.

Sometime after Tequila befriended Donald Morden, Red Eye met Morden when he visited the Intelligence Division to personally meet her, whom Tequila had fondly told him about. At the time, they were decent friends, and she accompanied him on a couple of missions, impressed by his charisma and firm respect towards his soldiers.

Three years prior to the Arms Deal Barrage, Red Eye encountered Rumi stranded on the battlefield in Arizona, carrying a bag full of supplies for her team. She rescued Rumi from a sinking submarine, but at the cost of watching the others drown and burn to death, which would later develop into submechanophobia. Out of gratitude, Rumi repaid Red Eye by gifting her the E-Armour, a newly produced bulletproof vest designed to withstand the kinetic energy of tank blasts. Over a cup of herbal tea at a pleasant cafe in Gerhardt City, Red Eye and Rumi bonded and became surprisingly good friends.

Red Eye would occasionally observe Gimlet from afar, and Tequila would often fill her in on his latest antics. Due to her demanding schedule of covert operations, she hadn't had the chance to meet Gimlet until just a year before the Arms Deal Barrage. When they finally met, they spent hours discussing their hopes for the future, sharing stories of past missions, and enjoying laughs together over drinks. This encounter sparked a strong bond, and Red Eye came to regard Gimlet as a younger brother. Ruoxi would frequently avoid Gimlet due to the bad vibes she got from him. In contrast, Liddy would often coax him into joining her on thrill-seeking adventures, and they would get into mischief together.

She met Marco, Eri, Tarma, and Fio a couple of years after the Arms Deal Barrage and befriended them, drawn to their intriguing dynamic as a team of eccentric soldiers. Red Eye became Marco's second best friend after he stepped out of his comfort zone to connect with others in the Regular Army, bonding with her over shared laughs, despite his signature awkwardness. Liddy discovered Fio's limitations as a fighter and her intense fear of bugs, often teasing her until Eri intervened with verbal aggression. Initially, Ruoxi took time to warm up to the group, but Tarma's calm demeanour, Marco's gentle nature, Eri's empathy, and Fio's kind-hearted politeness helped her open up faster than usual.

Two years after the Central Park bombing, Red Eye began dating Colonel Tender, having developed a strong emotional connection with him after he helped her in a previous mission. They had rescued hostages from an unethical laboratory involved in illegal weaponry and human experiments. Initially, they were on good terms, but their relationship took a dark turn. While Ruoxi was practicing her mentalism, Colonel Tender revealed his true nature and attempted to murder her out of jealousy, driven by his longstanding desire to surpass her exceptional covert skills and eliminate the obstacle standing in the way of his own success. This traumatic event triggered her dissociation, and she switched to Red Eye. Red Eye was appalled by his actions and fought back against him, successfully defending herself. However, he fled the next day, stealing sensitive Regular Army documents on special operations and weapons, and defected to the Rebel Army.

During the Great Morden War, Red Eye captured Colonel Tender on a moving freight train after he attempted to push her off and escape. Cornered, he begged for forgiveness, kneeling before her and apologising for his betrayal of the Regular Army and the pain he caused her. However, Red Eye, unforgiving, snapped his neck and then shot him in the heart to ensure his demise. Later, when captured by Rebel Army forces and subjected to brutal torture, General Morden promised her that she would serve a greater purpose in an enhanced form, just like Tequila and Gimlet. Following her execution in front of Marco and Tarma, her body was sent to Doctor Amadeus, who revived her as a semi-clone of Fio, drastically altering her existence.

Updated: October 3, 2024

Reworked Species #2: Tuatha Dé Danann

Overview

Unfortunately, little information has been preserved about the history, culture, behaviours, and capabilities of the Tuatha Dé Danann. However, it’s known that they thrived during the Hadean Eon, a time marked by the emergence of life, and possessed technology far superior to that of modern humanity. They formerly inhabited Jupiter, but relocated to Earth upon discovering its superior potential for sustaining life. This society of demigods was renowned for their impressive naval prowess and vast knowledge, reflecting their diverse talents and interests.

The Tuatha Dé Danann created intricate hieroglyphic drawings on portable pieces of green jasper, red garnet or obsidian, highlighting them with fool's gold or mercury. These drawings depicted ancient deities, such as the Avatar of Evil, and are often referred to as the Rosetta Stones.

The Tuatha Dé Danann are believed to possess an infinite amount of knowledge, encompassing even forbidden lore, but this intellectual capacity diminishes with each successive generation of descendants. As their DNA is diluted, their heirs retain only a hint of the Tuatha Dé Danann's extraordinary cognitive abilities, allowing them to hold more knowledge than the average human but not to the same extent as their ancestors. Notably, the Tuatha Dé Danann lived long enough to intermarry with fully evolved humans, sparking controversy among the older generations. The older generations viewed such unions as a taint on their genetic lineage, regarding themselves as a superior species whose physical and mental purity was paramount.

They can effortlessly distinguish between their own kind, including those who possess Tuatha Dé Danann DNA, and beings from other species through a peculiar tingling sensation of familiarity. Legend has it that they occasionally or frequently glimpse a pair of glowing red eyes watching them from darkened corners or shadowy places. They interpret this as a guardian carefully observing and assessing their moral actions. However, their descendants often find this unsettling with some believing they are being haunted by a restless spirit, while others suspect they are merely hallucinating. Sometimes, they're drawn into certain places, enticed by an aura of curiosity, a commanding presence or the echoing whispers of safety and growth.

They're immune to debilitating illnesses and were once prolific wielders of powerful magic, controlling the weather, elements, and earth's fertility. With this magic, they could shapeshift themselves and objects into animals and people, become invisible by hiding in a mist, and bring doom upon those who committed heinous acts against the divine and the law. However, descendants of the Tuatha Dé Danann have lost the ability to wield this magic as modern society has forgotten the secrets of harnessing and maintaining such an arcane force.

Beliefs

Although their specific beliefs and values are not well-documented, they are largely centred around animism, enlightenment, salvation, and cultural preservation. They held key values such as honour, courage, mastery of survival skills, overall health, compassion, creativity, and wisdom. Moreover, they believed it was their responsibility to aid in the physical and technological evolution of all life forms and reset the timeline when destruction seemed imminent. Some believe in the transformative power of human emotions and physical capabilities.

They held immense respect for the deities, preparing exquisite festivals, large feasts, worship ceremonies, and moral laws inspired by their unique principles. They hold a profound belief in the sacredness of the land, recognizing a collective responsibility to protect it from desecration and preserve its integrity. As stewards of the natural world, they strive to maintain harmony among the five elements: earth, air, fire, water, and quintessence. Embracing the cyclical nature of life, they accept and respect the phases of birth, growth, decay, and rebirth, working to maintain the delicate balance of the natural order.

Appearance

It's commonly believed that the Tuatha Dé Danann bore a striking resemblance to humans, but with distinct physical differences. They were remarkably tall, with males standing at an impressive 9’ 4” (284.48 cm) and females reaching approximately 8’ 10” (269.24 cm). Their physiques were characterised by lean builds, prominent muscles, and a proportionate amount of body fat. Their hair reportedly came in varying shades of black and blonde, while their eyes ranged in hues of blue and cyan. They have a pale complexion, but most experience a dulling of their skin hue as they grow older with age.

Warriors often adorned themselves with vibrant markings: they bleached the skin of their faces, torsos, arms, and lower legs with woad, giving them a bluish appearance. They also used Murex snail dye to create swirling patterns or claw-like marks on their faces, chests, and arms, which appeared purple. Additionally, they dyed their hair with madder red dye, and if they had longer hair, they braided it.

Tuatha Dé Danann rulers are always born with distinctive physical characteristics, including either python-like legs, a wolf’s head, a winding, serpentine fish tail or the lower half of a horse.

The exact nature of their attire is unknown, but it’s believed to have been crafted from luxurious materials such as silks, satins, linens, and animal pelts. Their jewellery was adorned with gemstones, precious metals, and ornate pieces made from animal teeth and bones. Notably, their armour was forged from a mysterious material known as adamant, a semi-magnetic rock infused with hardened steel, renowned for its exceptional strength and durability, surpassing even that of diamond.

Known Locations

Atlantis is said to be buried deep within the centre of the Atlantic Ocean. According to legend, the fabled civilization of the Hadean Eon was lost to the depths after its ruler succumbed to hubris and attempted to conquer humanity or prematurely reboot life itself with the aid of the Alator. The city's architecture is characterised by a series of concentric islands, separated by expansive moats and linked by a winding canal that culminates in a central hub: a towering structure featuring labyrinthine hallways, prismatic stone, and an altar adorned with ancient deity caricatures.

Some believe that Atlantis houses ancient technology infused with psionic energy and holds the knowledge of the deities. A few also speculate that it will rise up from the Atlantic Ocean during a rare and ominous blood moon event, rumoured to last for seven days, potentially initiating the apocalypse.

Ultima Thule is a remote tundra island located northwest of the Orkney Islands, frequently visited by whale and orca families. The island experiences the extreme phenomena of polar night and midnight sun. It features a waterfall that remains unfrozen, rocky cliffs embedded with shimmering crystals, fossil fuel, precious metal, and gemstone mines, snow-capped mountains, and a dormant volcano believed to have been used for ancient human sacrifices. Despite its fertile soil and abundant fields, capable of supporting crops and fruits, Ultima Thule is uninhabited. Regrettably, the island has been exploited as a dumping site for trash, discarded vehicles, and defunct machinery, leading to its notorious moniker, Scrap Island. It secretly harbours the remains of a deceased extraterrestrial deity, rumoured to be the fabled Super Devil, and antediluvian, faulty technology of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

It's believed that Ultima Thule was once a multifaceted hub, featuring large greenhouses for agriculture, mines for fossil fuels, precious metals, and gemstones, and sanctuaries that housed libraries, lavish bathhouses, and comfy homes for the elderly. Additionally, the area hosted various winter sports to test physical strength and agility, survival skills, instinctive reflexes, and mental strategies.

Technology

Little is known about their technological capabilities, but it’s believed that they were the result of a fusion of advanced mechanics, cutting-edge bioengineering, and mystical wizardry. Some of their technology is said to be capable of creating devastating weapons unparalleled on Earth, generating new land masses and life forms (including clones), and even tearing rifts in the space-time continuum.

They’ve developed monolithic computer modules capable of storing vast amounts of knowledge, a simulated torture chamber, and generating serpentine wires that can interface with sentient beings and international computer systems. These modules are concealed in Ultima Thule and the temple of a South Pacific archipelago that’s under the control of the P.F. Squad.

The Ajirabian Teardrop was once in their possession before ending up in the Ajirabian Ruins, and it's believed to hold the power to summon the dead and damned for use in warfare and forced labour. Additionally, it can serve as an energy source for advanced weapons, emitting fiery, electrical laser beams capable of decimating up to 80 men. It is believed that the Volt Electric Barrier employed by the Rebel Army, the enigmatic white masks donned by Ptolemaic cultists, Mummy Generators, Warp Tubes, and the Electric Door in the Oro Sol Ruins warehouse were all originally artifacts of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

Atlantis contains the Alator, a 200-million-year-old information-gathering device, and the Lugus Lieu, a biomechanical tower giant that serves as the Alator's core. The Alator is employed to accelerate the evolution of cultures and life forms, but it inevitably self-destructs when accessed by an individual of Tuatha Dé Danann lineage, resetting the timeline and perpetuating an eternal cycle of repetition. Lugus Lieu solely obeys the commands of the Tuatha Dé Danann and their descendants as they possess the sentience to recognize the inherent wrongness of harming their own creators. They’re composed of adamant, featuring a radiant blue-grey finish, and possess ever-shifting flesh that shimmers with a luminous quality beneath the light of the sun and moon.

Lugus Lieu contains the Alator within a non-Euclidean dimension in its chest, accessible only by allowing it to absorb individuals into its luminous flesh. This non-Euclidean dimension features a majestic Greco-Roman and Mesoamerican ziggurat, its structure twisting and curving like a Möbius strip, crafted from gold-speckled ruby zoisite that seems to shift and change colour as one observes it. The structure appears to be simultaneously convex and concave as if it's being pulled in multiple directions at once. It serves as the nexus point of a mind-bending, geometric expanse with a wild sandstorm that has particles that flow like liquid. Iridescent, bioluminescent tendrils burst forth from the ground, only to retract and reappear elsewhere, while harmless blue flames morph into impossible shapes and patterns that would be unthinkable in our reality. The entrance to the ziggurat is guarded by an oxidised brass double gate of impossible geometry, comprising intersecting circles that appear to be both tangent and overlapping, yet never actually touching.

Beyond the gate lies a labyrinth of rectangular mirrors, each functioning as a portal to other realities, dimensions, and planes of existence. These mirrors reveal a stunning cosmic panorama, showcasing a multitude of stars, comets, asteroids, meteoroids, meteors, meteor showers, natural satellites, planets, dwarf planets, and galaxies, swirling together in an infinite dance. However, the mirrors also display impossible geometries, such as Klein bottles, Möbius strips, and Calabi-Yau manifolds. Above, the sky is shrouded in a foggy black haze, which seems to be composed of tiny, swirling vortexes that defy the laws of thermodynamics. Beneath, the durable floor is a vibrant, multicoloured pyrope, featuring hues of blood red, pink, purple, and green, which appear to shift and change depending on the angle of observation.

They were in possession of data discs attached to copper-hued adamant vambraces, comprising three sections that are adorned with an encircling, shaky line pattern and outlined with gold accents to demarcate each section. The data discs themselves are rimmed with pearlescent adamant and centred with a floating rhomboid piece of green jasper. These devices are capable of generating an impenetrable shield, manifesting as yellow-orange and saffron octagonal waves, for defensive purposes. Additionally, they can emit purplish-white laser projectiles for long-range offence. The true purpose of these data discs is to preserve the DNA structures of each successive generation of life and document their unique cultures.

Before relocating to Earth, they created the 49 ft (1493.52 cm) biomechanical, humanoid extraterrestrials known as the Monoeyes. It is believed that they created these beings to symbolise their Jovian heritage and express their desire for a new species to thrive on their home planet. As Jupiter is the Monoeyes' birthplace and they had inhabited the planet for thousands of years, they are sometimes referred to as the Jovians. They’ll never harm a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, unless that individual possesses malicious intent. There are only six Monoeyes known to exist: Ogmios, an apricot-hued one with greyish-pink blushing; Gobannus, a yellowish-green one with malachite-hued blushing; Brigantia, a pearlescent purple one with golden blushing; Manannán, a bluish-purple one with light cyan blushing; Nodens, an albino one with crimson blushing; and Fomoire, a melanistic one with silver-grey blushing.

The Monoeyes can readily identify individuals descended from the Tuatha Dé Danann by analysing their DNA and tracing their family lineage through a psychic connection that grants them access to neural pathways and blood vessels. They possess unparalleled knowledge, which they only share with individuals they deem worthy. The six Monoeyes possess unique domains of expertise: Ogmios knows everything about persuasion, eloquence, mental strength, and control; Gobannus knows everything about smithing and hospitality; Brigantia knows everything about wisdom, youth, the four seasons, poetry, protection, and domesticated animals; Manannán knows everything about the sea and warfare; Nodens knows everything about the weather, dreams, healing, and survival; and Fomoire knows everything about all destructive forces of nature. Their extensive knowledge has created a mental link, giving them the power to influence and manipulate their area of expertise at will.

The Monoeyes serve as enigmatic guardians of the mysterious artifact known as Danu, which doubles as their spaceship. Encased in a protective layer of a meteorite that emits lethal radiation, Danu can transform individuals into mindless zombies if they venture too close. Upon landing on a solid surface, the ship anchors itself using glowing, tentacle-like greenish-white roots. It can summon monoliths adorned with ancient, alien runes, generating ice caves, and exerting mind control over individuals with Tuatha Dé Danann DNA. The Monoeyes are capable of teleportation, levitation, bodily reconfiguration, making illusory copies of themselves, optic blasts, telekinesis, pyrokinesis, and psychological communication. Although they have fallen into the hands of the Rebel Army and Martians, the Monoeyes primarily act independently. The radiated meteorite has been exploited by the Amadeus Syndicate to develop Big John and engineer a zombie virus.

Updated: October 2, 2024

Reworked Character #6: Nadia Cassel

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to death, neglect, abuse, kidnapping, stalking, and SA.

Real name: Nadège Véronique Comtois

Alias: Perky Foodie

Occupation: Private of the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., fighter pilot for the Regular Army, and a tactical scientist for the Amadeus Syndicate (formerly)

Retirement plans: Become a professional forensic scientist, acquire a private jet, and establish an art studio and an ethical science lab

Special skills: Marksmanship, piloting, forensic science, knowledge of biological agents and toxins, and creating detailed, observational drawings of enemy positions and terrain

Imperfect clone abilities: At her own will, she can rapidly regenerate missing limbs and organs, minimising blood loss and restoring her body to its original form without the need for medical aid. Her blood possesses extraordinary healing properties, capable of instantly curing non-lethal ailments, skin punctures, and all manner of burns. When Nadia opens her mouth wide and flexibly shifts her upper and lower front teeth, she reveals four syringe-like fangs, which are neatly concealed within the hard palate. These fangs enable her to consume the blood of other living beings and replenish her own lost vital fluid.

Her body is resistant to all lethal toxins and pathogens. Moreover, she possesses incredible agility and can move at hyperspeeds. Notably, her pancreas, shielded by a thick layer of blubber, has the unique ability to produce a bile-infused silk. She utilises this silk to puke up robust, ensnaring nets that capture her victims and slowly burn them with its corrosive properties. Nadia’s hands feature reseda chartreuse eyes with feline pupils, granting her night vision, and her fingernails are entirely fleshy, concealing retractable claws made of an adamantine greenish-yellow material.

Hobbies: Painting landscapes, going on shopping sprees (she often buys gifts for her comrades and friends), reading books on anatomy, messing around with flight simulation software, and eating large quantities of food after each mission

Likes: Trevor, sweet and spicy foods, giving everyone nicknames, maintaining her figure, and the one time she accidentally ate a butterfly

Dislikes: Starvation, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), getting unnecessarily dirty, people telling her to “shut up”, and individuals that she views as scary and incapable of having fun (such as Tequila and Eri)

Favourite food: Coq au vin, phaal curry, and candy

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Gender: Female

Age: 12 (in 2022), 18 (in 2028), 20 (in 2030), 22 (in 2032), 24 (in 2034), 31 (in 2041), 33 (in 2043), 34 (in 2044), and 37 (in 2047)

Blood type: B+

Weight: 120 lbs. (54 kg)

Design: She’s a 5’ 4” (162.56 cm) French ectomorph with a gracefully thin body, small breasts, curvaceous hips, sloping shoulders, and a serpentine tongue covered in microscopic spikes. She has limestone skin and possesses feline-like pupils that transform into vertical slits only when she opens her mouth wide enough to reveal her concealed fangs. Her eyes are heterochromatic with her right eye being a warm amber, while her left eye is grey-green with brown flecks. Nadia has a few moles: one on the right side of her chin; one near the corner of her left eye; two above her left breast; one on the back of her right hand; and one slightly below her right knee.

She has raspberry red hair with voluminous curls that reach her waist, but she often ties it into two pigtails with stretchy reseda green hair bands. She has a silvery-pink birthmark on her left shoulder, almost shaped like a crescent moon with three protruding spikes. A large circular patch on her upper back is stripped of skin, exposing crimson muscles and purplish veins, and her greenish-yellow spine is partially protruding.

Her military gear consists of a metal dog tag necklace with her name, an avocado green tank top, and mid-calf socks with black and white zebra stripes. She wears Argentine blue neoprene gloves, reseda green leather belt, and a champagne-hued vest with the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. insignia on the back. She wears navy blue army cargo pants tucked into twilight lavender combat boots with spiked soles. She also wears a dirty white lab coat, black knee pads, a case for her stun gun, and a gun holster for a handgun. Her vest has two hidden strapped compartments to hold up to two firearms when needed, but they’re often accompanied by a bonesaw and a 7.62mm AR-10 Autorifle.

The pockets of Nadia’s vest carry around a pocket knife, a sticky note pad, a red pin, a black cellphone with a metallic green case, a blue pin, and a bag of macadamia nuts. In the pockets of her lab coat, she carries an orange-and-white cat plushie with blue eyes and an emerald green tie named Melekhai (used for stress relief), along with a caramel-filled chocolate candy bar in silver wrapping and a small pine-wood box of strawberry frosted sugar cookies. She wears a forest green waist pack containing a bottle of laxatives and two blood packs for snacking. Attached to the left side of her belt is a square-shaped pouch with a clear plastic window, showcasing balls of bubblegum and lollipops in different colours inside. The pouch features an amaranth pink outline, feline ears with bluish-white fur, a pistachio-hued strap with a black button clasp, and a metallic silver zipper.

Over her tank top, she dons a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) with a MultiCam pattern, which carries around her walkie-talkie and ammo for other firearms. She wears two dark brown bandoliers that cross over her body in an X-shape, each holding grenades. Nadia carries around a navy blue load-bearing backpack that contains camping equipment, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, greenish-black gas masks for her teammates in need of one, a medical kit, and liquid and pill bottles of cures and deadly chemicals. She also carries around a painting kit, her mint green sketchbook with bubblegum pink polka dots, and a set of drawing pencils with two erasers and a sharpener.

She also wields a specialised rifle that fires needles containing transformative liquids, capable of altering humans into simian or mantis creatures. Additionally, she carries purplish rolling bombs that contain mummifying breath and throwable canisters filled with a zombie-inducing orangish phlegm that explodes upon impact. She wears safety goggles, star-shaped lavender spinel earrings that dangle from her ears, and a non-dangling peridot belly ring piercing.

Character summary: She boasts swift wit and inventive verbal humour, often outsmarting her foes with clever sabotage tactics. Despite being a childish, happy-go-lucky, and sassy goofball, she has a surprisingly intelligent and cynical side, but she loves to indulge her silly and jubilant nature. Due to her fondness for her exceptional intellect, she sometimes perceives other people as “intellectually inferior” to herself. She conceals her bitterness and wariness of strangers behind a facade of playful teasing, mischievous pranks, sarcastic remarks, and a charming smile. She cherishes her friendship with Trevor, who is her first true best friend. She appreciates his laid-back nature and ability to understand her effortlessly. Over time, she has developed subtle romantic feelings for him, largely due to his hacking expertise and the enjoyable quality time they share. However, she has become adept at concealing these emotions.

She demonstrates her loyalty to her friends by nurturing their relationships and showing platonic affection, often showering them with hugs and kisses. She's a fearless advocate for herself and others, refusing to tolerate bullying or any form of mistreatment, and will boldly speak out against it. She has a fondness for assigning nicknames to those around her, including friends and foes alike. For instance, she has nicknamed Marco as "Markie", Tarma as "Tarms", Eri as "Rie", Fio as "Fifi", Trevor as "Trevie", Ralf as "Ralfeezy", Clark as "Clarkster", Hyakutaro as "Hyaro", Tequila as "Tequi", Gimlet as "Gimbo", Red Eye as "Dey-Dey", Walter as “Walty”, Tyra as “Rara”, Madoka as “Doka”, General Morden as "Mordy", Allen O'Neil as "Allio", and Ptolemaios as "Ptolema".

She's a friendly, humorous, and talkative busybody with a passion for creative expression and thrill-seeking adventures, which give her a taste of what it truly means to live. Despite efforts to maintain her supermodel figure, she has developed mild bulimia nervosa; while trying to resist the urge, she sometimes purges after eating. Additionally, she struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, manifesting as a fear of contamination, anxiety about misplacing valuable items, and a need for order and balance. She also experiences distressing thoughts, including fears of losing control, harming loved ones, and intrusive thoughts about sexual subjects. Whenever she hears about child abuse or unethical experiments, she becomes visibly shaken, her mind goes numb, and she withdraws socially for a few hours, succumbing to a melancholic state.

She takes a disturbing pleasure in obliterating her enemies, often letting out a maniacal laugh as she does so. Outside of military work, she often dodges unwanted tasks by concocting elaborate schemes (frequently with Trevor's help) to avoid them. However, her plans often backfire, resulting in trouble for neglecting her duties. Moreover, she has a tendency to slack off during missions, especially when she becomes bored and her attention wanders to more exciting things. When she gets into trouble, especially when it involves people she has convinced to join her antics, she often tries to deflect responsibility by feigning innocence and shifting the blame onto others.

She possesses a fairly compassionate, laid-back disposition, which she only reveals to those closest to her. She's overconfident about her looks and seems unfazed by how people react to her inhuman features, yet she draws the line at absurd and unattainable beauty standards. She's deadly serious when needed and isn't afraid to intimidate people or berate individuals for doing something irrational or dangerous. She has a strong disdain for individuals who exhibit predatory behaviour, such as perverts and stalkers, and is unafraid to call them out and mock their actions mercilessly. She despises unnecessary secrecy and eugenics, opposing the lack of transparency and the racist underpinnings of genetic manipulation aimed at "improving" human populations.

She's quite gluttonous and becomes quickly hangry when she's extremely hungry and there's nothing to eat at the moment. She's an eavesdropper with a curious habit of inspecting, poking, probing, and even biting anything that piques her interest. She grapples with touch starvation, feeling emotionally isolated from others, and deeply dislikes being overlooked or ignored by those around her. She harbours intense resentment towards her mother due to her neglectful behaviour and excessive focus on satisfying scientific curiosity, which comes at the expense of considering others' needs and forming meaningful connections with them. She’s appalled by her mother's callous disregard for the pain she inflicts on others as well as the secrecy surrounding their family's lineage and her status as an imperfect clone.

Backstory: Nadège Véronique Comtois was born on August 6, 2010 in Quimper, France. She was created in a test tube through advanced Martian cloning technology and the DNA of Ghyslaine Laëtitia Comtois, her clone mother and founder of the Amadeus Syndicate, in an underground laboratory. Initially, Ghyslaine's interest in Nadège was rooted in scientific curiosity. She conducted psychological and sociological experiments to explore the similarities and differences between them. Ghyslaine would overfeed Nadège, only to discover that her daughter had an abnormal metabolism, making it challenging for her to gain weight. Unintentionally, Ghyslaine fueled Nadège's affection for junk food. At age 7, Ghyslaine subjected Nadège to a disturbing and unethical experiment, forcibly inducing puberty and sterilising her daughter as part of a eugenics test. During this period, Nadège longed to experience the outside world and connect with her clone mother. Unfortunately, Ghyslaine's focus on research led her to neglect Nadège’s emotional needs. She treated her more like a guinea pig than a human being, providing minimal motherly comfort and attention.

At the age of 9, Ghyslaine decided it was time for Nadège to explore the outside world, which filled her clone daughter with excitement. Together, Nadège experienced her first-ever outing to a shopping district and explored several notable attractions in Quimper, including the Breton County Museum, the Fine Arts Museum, and the Faience Museum. She received Melekhai as a reward for being well-behaved, and she still holds onto the plushie very dearly since it was the first heartfelt gift her clone mother gave her. Her experience with the outside world sparked Nadège’s curiosity in modelling and the creative arts.

However, her mother had other plans. Ghyslaine envisioned Nadège following in her footsteps as a renowned scientist and eventual heir to the Amadeus Syndicate. To nurture this ambition, Ghyslaine frequently presented Nadège with books on biology and chemistry, encouraging her to delve into the sciences. She encouraged Nadège to cover the unusual features on her palms and upper back by wearing neoprene gloves and modest clothing in order to avoid drawing unnecessary attention or judgement from others.

By the age of 11, Nadège had become proficient in biology and chemistry, thanks to her mother's guidance. She began attending school after being previously homeschooled by Ghyslaine and other Amadeus Syndicate scientists. Although her school years were uneventful, Nadia occasionally faced bullying due to her intense interests in science, modelling, and the creative arts, as well as her unusual habit of wearing neoprene gloves to conceal her hand-eyes.

However, the bullying ceased after rumours circulated that she had intimidated and bitten a school bully by revealing her hidden snake fangs—a claim that was surprisingly true. Nadège’s clone mother was indifferent to her academic pursuits but drew a firm line at harming others and divulging confidential information about the Amadeus Syndicate. When Ghyslaine learned about this incident, she smacked her in the face, then confined her to a padded room with two blood bags and a fresh corpse for three hours. As dinnertime approached, Nadège's hunger grew, leading her to make the desperate decision to consume the contents of the blood bags and feed on the fresh corpse.

During her high school years, Nadège frequently skipped classes to go shopping, feeling that she already possessed a strong grasp of the material being taught in her courses. To avoid arousing suspicion about her exceptional intelligence, she intentionally performed poorly on a few tests. During this time, she experienced significant weight gain, which unfortunately led to bullying and negative comments about her appearance. However, she handled the situation with confidence and resilience, effectively standing up for herself and dismissing the hurtful remarks. After completing high school, she promptly enrolled in a two-year college art program, specialising in landscape drawing for animation studios, before pursuing forensic science at the university level.

During her forensic studies at university, Nadège unexpectedly became an e-celeb supermodel who goes by the name of Nadia Cassel, doing so for the sheer enjoyment of it. Although her rise to fame was modest at best, she didn't mind, as she revelled in the opportunity to be herself and try something new. She formed a close bond with a fan from Launceston, Tasmania, Australia, Ophelia Clementine Rourke (whom she affectionately calls Ophie), who would later become a fighter plane pilot in the Regular Army.

However, as her fame as an e-celeb supermodel grew, she started to attract unwanted attention from predatory individuals, which caused her significant distress. Her situation intensified when she inadvertently revealed her hand-eyes during a livestream, leading to an escalation of online harassment. After a deranged fan attempted to kidnap and sexually assault her, she empowered herself by obtaining a gun licence and rigorously training to use a firearm, becoming a skilled markswoman.

The stress of her forensic studies and the pressures of being a supermodel took a toll on Nadia's mental health, leading to the development of OCD and bulimia nervosa. Her struggles with maintaining a strict diet, keeping her model-worthy figure, and need for control became overwhelming. Eventually, Nadège made the decision to quit modelling, as her mental health issues began to impact her studies. However, she kept the name of her e-celeb persona because she liked it. In a disturbing incident, she recalls defending herself against a stalker who attempted to assault and cannibalise her in her own home. The attack led to her involuntarily consuming the stalker's blood, unleashing a sadistic streak she never knew she had.

After completing her forensic studies, Nadia prioritised fitness to maintain her physical well-being. Having achieved her ideal body weight, she shifted her focus to obtaining her pilot's licence, inspired by Ophie to join the Regular Army's tactical operations. After obtaining her licence and receiving military training, Ghyslaine permitted Nadia to join the Amadeus Syndicate as a tactical scientist. She proved to be highly successful, making a name for herself as she pushed the boundaries of scientific understanding in biology and chemistry. Nadia supplied the Regular Army with stable bioweapons, gas masks, and advocated for training recruits on the dangers of biological hazards. During a joint tactical mission with the Amadeus Syndicate and Regular Army against a bioterrorist attack, Nadia met Trevor and quickly formed a friendship with him. 

While searching Ghyslaine's office for documents for a chemical experiment, she stumbled upon classified test results revealing her true nature: an imperfect clone. The discovery shook her to her core. Further investigation led her to her clone mother's journal, exposing a dark family legacy of illicit collaborations with government agencies, inhumane wildlife experimentation, and development of devastating bioweapons and malicious computer viruses. Most alarming, however, was Ghyslaine's megalomaniacal plan for global domination and self-deification. Horrified, she contemplated abandoning the Syndicate, yet for mysterious reasons, she chose to stay.

During her work on a disease cure in South Africa, Nadia uncovered disturbing information: Ghyslaine sexually assaulted Marco, who was injured at the time. This traumatic event had far-reaching consequences, severely straining relations between the Regular Army and the Amadeus Syndicate. Horrified by Ghyslaine's actions, she defected to the Regular Army, dedicating herself to defending Earth against global threats. She vaguely recalls attempting to poison Ghyslaine by lacing her bitter coffee with powdered cyanide, but the plan backfired when another scientist accidentally drank from the cup instead.

She eventually joined the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S. after befriending Fio and earning a sliver of respect from Eri. This was due to her impressive performance as a prospective agent, where she swiftly identified the chemical composition of a new illicit drug that had been baffling the Intelligence Agency. She achieved this by obtaining crucial documents and conducting rigorous, ethical experiments. Following the Survival Island Occupation, she provided crucial assistance to the hostages and kidnapped cadets who had been transformed into grotesque simian and mantis creatures, administering cures that successfully restored them to their human form.

Updated: October 3, 2024

Reworked Character #3: Eri Kasamoto

POTENTIAL TRIGGER WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised due to references to abandonment, abuse, underage drinking, crime, an unhealthy romance, death, and SA.

Real name: Chizuko Kawaguchi

Alias: Memphis Bomb Princess

Occupation: Staff Sergeant of the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., Ptolemaios’ second-in-command (formerly), and the leader of a street gang (formerly)

Retirement plans: Open up an inclusive orphanage in Hiroshima

Special skills: Orchestrating stealth missions and suppression operations, proficiency in explosives, survival techniques, lock picking, and seduction

Hobbies: Swimming, kickboxing, building explosive gadgets, thinking about her past mistakes and what she could’ve done better during her solitary nature walks, and playing card games with her friends that include some sort of money-related bet

Likes: Fio, pyrotechnics, aimless walks, vintage religious memorabilia, and a keychain that was gifted to her by Emily

Dislikes: Blissful ignorance, overly mischievous, lazy, and hot-headed people, riding in vehicles she isn’t able to drive, being touched without permission, and cults

Favourite drink: Vodka (preferably Spirytus)

Sexuality: Homoflexible sapiosexual

Gender: Female

Age: 16 (in 2022), 22 (in 2028), 24 (in 2030), 26 (in 2032), 28 (in 2034), 35 (in 2041), 37 (in 2043), 38 (in 2044), and 41 (in 2047)

Blood type: B-

Weight: 126 lbs. (57 kg)

Design: She’s a 5’ 6” (167.64 cm) Japanese ectomorph with an athletic, sylph-like build, broad shoulders, sand-hued skin, a black mole under her right eye, and top scars. She has dark brown eyes with visible bags beneath them and fingernails that are painted a metallic green. She has jet black hair with choppy bangs that has been bleached dirty blonde and is styled in a mid-back shaggy wolf cut, often worn up in a ponytail. Eri has a jarring diagonal scar that runs from the left side of her temple, across the bridge of her nose, to her right levator scapulae muscle. She also has stab scars on the palm of her right hand, cut marks on her right forearm, the skin on her arms and shoulders have been picked at, and her legs are riddled with scrapes. She lost her left forearm in a traumatic incident, later receiving a metallic silver prosthetic replacement from Ptolemaios during her training. She dons green gold snake bite and silver jestrum piercings, and her makeup features a glittery artichoke green smoky eyeliner, light brown mascara, and coral pink lips.

Eri’s military gear consists of an olive green bandana on her head, a metal dog tag necklace with her name, and a black headset for communication with her snipers. She wears a black bra, myrtle-hued sleeveless button midriff, and a satin crimson sash. She wears a purplish-grey unbuttoned coat with ripped sleeves, four pockets, and a hidden strap compartment that holds her electrical baton. On the back of her jacket is the logo of the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., which Fio kindly embroidered for her. Her purplish-grey army cargo pants were tucked into black combat boots and held up by a silver-buckled dark teal belt around her waist. She has a sheath for her combat knife and a drop leg holster for her handgun with a silencer.

She wears a black gas mask with red-tinted lenses, olive green gloves, black knee and elbow pads, and sage-streaked silver tassel earrings. She wears a keychain necklace, a gift from her late girlfriend Emily, featuring a fiery comet encircling a reddish-purple amethyst stone carved into the shape of a human heart. Eri is adorned with two black steel armlets, one on each arm: the right armlet has a circular green crystal at its centre, while the left armlet has a red one. The green crystal grants her the power to unleash grey lightning, while the red crystal, forged from a fragment of Sol Dae Rokker, can summon deadly, wolf-shaped spirits that dive-bomb enemies.

Over her midriff, she dons a Soldier Plate Carrier System (SPCS) with a MultiCam pattern, which carries around her walkie-talkie and ammo for other firearms. She carries around a sage green load-bearing backpack that contains camping equipment, grenades, fire bombs, mines, hand-crafted explosive gadgets, portable ammo boxes, a canteen full of water, three canisters of gasoline, a rocket launcher, and a bottle of vodka. Her olive green waist pack, secured at the back of her belt, holds a silvery flask of vodka, a matchbox, and a compact makeup kit containing her eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss. The pockets of her coat contain a pack of fruity bubblegum, a navy blue lighter, a rainbow-coloured bouncy ball, a deck of playing cards, and her lucky gold Kaiki Shoho coin. Meanwhile, her cargo pants hold lockpicking tools and three boxes of cigarettes. She has worn gauze wrapped around her right forearm, a gun holster for her handgun, and a sheath for her machete. She's still in possession of a Ptolemaic Army-commissioned scoped bolt-action rifle, which is often draped over her left shoulder.

Character summary: She's a vengeful, sarcastic, cynical, and tomboyish leader who will stop at nothing to brutally hurt anyone she perceives as a threat to her comrades and friends or have caused them genuine harm. She has a sadistic streak, evident in her peculiar habit of smearing her enemies' blood on herself to intimidate others. When focused on her military duties and protecting those she respects and cares about, she tends to neglect her own needs. Eri's outspoken and crass demeanour shows no fear in speaking her mind, telling others off, and using profanities. As a self-reliant and lonesome individual, she’s bitter and aloof towards those she dislikes and strangers. She has a tendency to engage in dishonest behaviour and manipulate situations to her advantage. When confronted about these actions, she often responds with aggressive language and contradictory arguments. She holds immense respect for the deities, particularly Sol Dae Rokker, and will go to great lengths to worship and make sacrifices to them, often ritually sacrificing the remains of her enemies and indulging in orgies with her team of Ptolemaic rebels.

She fearlessly rebels against anything she deems morally wrong or a life-threatening risk. She shows no mercy towards her enemies, and her military missions showcase her exceptional resourcefulness, cunning, and tactical prowess. She's capable of sympathy and offering wise advice, but her willingness to do so greatly depends on the situation and her personal connection with the individual. She has immense compassion for those who endured a difficult childhood and does her best to offer comfort and support.

Eri regards her team of Ptolemaic deserters, Fio of the S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., Marco and Trevor of the P.F. Squad, Ralf and Clark, the top dogs of the Ikari Warriors, Tequila, Red Eye, and Hyakutaro, Tyra, and Walter of Division 6 as family. She’s overprotective of Fio, whom she regards with sisterly affection, and Marco, whom she views as a courageous leader who deserves comfort and sympathy. She harbours significant animosity towards Tarma, seeing him as a hot-headed idiot who only causes trouble and can't take things seriously. Despite her best efforts to tolerate him, she can't help but snap at him when his silly antics go too far, he inadvertently ruins a plan or he gets too flirtatious and physically close to Fio.

She deeply appreciates the unwavering loyalty and obedience of her team of Ptolemaic Army rebels, who show remarkable kindness and respect towards her friends and comrades. Their well-being is paramount to her, and she'll stop at nothing to ensure their safety, driven by a profound fear of losing or failing them. Although she hesitates to acknowledge it, lest she hurt their feelings and/or diminish their sense of worth, she does harbour a special affinity for certain members, with some holding a closer place in her heart than others. Her top favourites are Mikuláš, a Czech guerrilla fighter; Dezső, a Hungarian guerrilla fighter; Sipho, a Xhosa guerrilla fighter; Amilcare, an Italian sniper; Diomedes, a Greek sniper; and Radovan, a Macedonian special forces operative. She holds them in high regard due to their unwavering support, exceptional expertise in guerrilla warfare and stealth, and efficient completion of tasks. On the other hand, her least favourite team members are Harvie, a British guerrilla fighter; Souma, a Japanese sniper; and Jaroslavas, a Lithuanian special forces operative. She finds them less impressive due to their tendency to slack off, often distracted by gossiping, playing card games, taking frequent smoke breaks, and playfully teasing their comrades.

She lives with claustrophobia, mild social anxiety, insomnia, atypical depression, and borderline personality disorder. To cope with her mental health struggles, she often presents herself as highly intelligent, serious-minded, and seductive. However, when anger takes hold, her emotions can be difficult to contain, although she strives to maintain some self-control. Notably, Eri prefers not to be called by her old name as it evokes memories of her past trauma, which she’s trying to desperately forget. She's a hardened pessimist, often appearing mentally exhausted and emotionally unfazed, yet she consistently demonstrates resilience and stubborn determination. She can't help but feel jealous towards those who have loving parents and weren't abandoned by them. When she's had too much to drink, she becomes prone to argumentativeness, physical aggression, and melancholy, and often sleepwalks.

She has a deep-seated distrust of Christianity, believing that many people hypocritically exploit God and Jesus' teachings to conceal their true intentions. She also thinks that certain Christian teachings clash with the harsh realities of life. Furthermore, she believes that God seems apathetic to humanity's well-being, watching them suffer endlessly, letting evil to continuously flourish, and restricting the potential for salvation. She holds that morality is culturally relative, and therefore, there are no universal moral laws, making it challenging to distinguish right from wrong.

In her view, human societies construct their values based on their distinct beliefs, customs, and practices, which are also influenced by social and emotional pressures. She believes that individuals have a moral obligation to protect innocent lives and uphold the goodness inherent in justice. Regarding war, she thinks it can be justified if it meets certain criteria: it’s openly declared by a governing authority, has a just cause, and aims to establish a lasting peace. She acknowledges the coexistence of life and death but does not see a clear connection between the two.

Backstory: Chizuko Kawaguchi was born on June 6, 2006 in Hiroshima, Japan. She was abandoned as an infant at the entrance of a Christian church by her parents, who had wanted a son instead of a baby girl. Her name was discovered on a piece of paper tucked inside her baby carriage. She was raised by the Christian church where she was sent to live, an institution with a strict religious environment. There, children who misbehaved were subjected to psychological reprimands. During Chizuko’s younger years, she acted out as an attention-seeking troublemaker, but was frequently punished through humiliation and isolation in a dark closet.

She would be frequently bullied by children who were considered to be well-behaved and good in the eyes of the church staff. They targeted her for her perceived sinfulness by spreading false rumours about her, belittling her, and vandalising her toys. She endured occasional physical abuse and emotional manipulation by the church orphanage staff who used the threat of eternal damnation to control her behaviour. This treatment had a profound effect on her, making her quiet, nervous, and obedient. As a result, she grew to resent the church, finding its teachings to be at odds with the harsh realities of her own life. She eventually lost faith in God, feeling that He seemed indifferent to human suffering, allowing it to persist without genuine intervention or care.

At the age of 6, Chizuko met Tarma and quickly befriended him after building a sandcastle and searching for worms under a heavy rock. This chance encounter taught her that there were kind people outside of her church community, and she had opportunities to form new connections and discover herself. She met up with Tarma a few more times until he stopped visiting Hiroshima, leaving her feeling alone and sorrowful.

Once she figured out the ways of the world, she escaped from the sanctuary of the church at the age of 12, alongside a small group of friends, eager to taste the forbidden fruit of the world. Seeking vengeance, she and her friends burned down the church orphanage in retaliation for the abuse they had endured. Most of her early life remains private. However, her invigorating and tomboyish nature lended her as a capable leader, founding a gang of street kids. They engaged in criminal activities, primarily petty theft, drug sales, weapon trafficking, and murder.

Details about this period are scarce, but it's known that Chizuko developed a fondness for vodka during this time. She narrowly escaped being taken into custody by the police through financial bribes, avoiding a potential juvenile detention. She would also go through a couple of romantic relationships with girls. Her first relationship was short-lived after she quickly discovered that her girlfriend was using her for financial gain. Her second relationship seemed to be going well, but it ended when her girlfriend's parents found out about her being a delinquent and forbade their daughter from seeing her again.

At 15, she reunited with Tarma after he ran away from home, inviting him to hang out and drink beer and vodka. As they caught up on each other's lives, she began to flirt and get physically close, seeing him as someone she could trust. However, Chizuko’s desire to escape the past and run away from her problems clouded her judgement. They spent many nights together, engaging in erotic activities, and she even convinced him to participate in a few crimes. But everything changed when Tarma abruptly ended things and returned home to Hokkaido. Devastated, she felt betrayed, despite having used him to fulfill her own desires and advance her gang interests. This experience explains her lingering animosity towards Tarma.

Her leadership skills and her gang had continued to grow successfully, but that success was short-lived. Two months before she turned 18, Hiroshima was suddenly attacked by multiple bombings from a mysterious group, resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, including her entire gang—her first true friends. This incident sent the Japanese populace into a deep state of panic and uncertainty. In the chaos, she also suffered a devastating injury, losing her left forearm. With quick thinking, she managed to improvise a tourniquet by tearing the sleeves of her medium-sleeved shirt and stemming the bleeding.

While treating her injury, she was approached by a brown-haired, grey-eyed woman wearing the attire of a Ptolemaic guerilla. This guerrilla fighter didn't want to leave Chizuko behind, knowing she would feel terrible if left alone. So, she convinced Chizuko to come with her to meet up with Ptolemaios. Chizuko was hesitant at first, but with no other options, she took the opportunity. The guerrilla introduced herself as Emily Kuznetsova, and Chizuko decided to adopt a new name: Eri Kasamoto.

Unbeknownst to her, Ptolemaios had been observing Eri for some time, recognizing her potential as a valuable asset for his army. She was first showered with excessive attention and affection by Ptolemaios' most devoted followers. Afterwards, they subjected her to an initiation ritual where she was forced to consume the heart of a deceased baby goat in the name of the Dark Lord and drink Ptolemaios' blood. He took steps to provide her with specialised training to enhance her skills in espionage and further develop her militant abilities. Once she received a sufficient amount of training, he wasn't hesitant to make her his second-in-command, which stirred some jealousy amongst the commanding officers of the Ptolemaic Army. On his behalf, she was responsible for multiple stealth missions to further the technological advancement and tactical plans of the Ptolemaic Army. She would also carry out targeted assassinations of traitors on Ptolemaios' behalf, which would often result in him rewarding her with bottles of premium vodka and, notably, her two prized black steel armlets.

During this time, Emily's compassionate and courageous nature won Eri over, and she developed a strong romantic attraction towards her, which would eventually blossom into a full-blown relationship. Ptolemaios viewed Emily as a potential obstacle to his objectives and sought to eliminate her, motivated in part by his suppressed and secret sexual attraction to Eri. Emily's death was staged to appear as a suicide, with the circumstances surrounding it unclear. Eri was even sexually assaulted by a few commanding officers as Ptolemaios hoped that this would instill more fear in her and deter her from leaving.

However, these two events had a profound impact on Eri, leading to feelings of grief and anger, and prompting her to re-evaluate her involvement with the Ptolemaic Army. She formed an alliance with like-minded individuals who shared her vision of opposing Ptolemaios' regime, recognizing that his ambitions posed a significant threat to global stability and universal security. They also sought to prevent Ptolemaios from summoning the Avatar of Evil, fearing its awakening could trigger a catastrophic apocalypse. The group consisted of six guerrilla troops: Mikuláš, Ji-Yeong, Konrad, Dezső, Sipho, and Harvie; four snipers: Amilcare, Diomedes, Souma, and Manouel; and eight special forces operatives: Kemalettin, Jaroslavas, Dermot, Agenor, Shelomit, Franjo, Prabhakar, and Radovan.

During their fight against the Ptolemaic Army, they caused major setbacks and killed off many soldiers and cultists. As Eri fought against Ptolemaios, she learned that he was responsible for conducting the terrorist bombings in Hiroshima. As she attempted to take Ptolemaios' life, a seemingly malevolent presence intervened, halting her progress. Ominous whispers echoed in her mind, cautioning her that it wasn't yet time to end his reign of terror. Uncertain and intimidated, she and her rebel Ptolemaic soldiers retreated from Ptolemaios' Osaka compound, fearing the consequences of defying the mysterious presence. This decision would become a deeply regretted moment. Shortly after this time, she ripped off the sleeves of her purplish-grey coat to use as tourniquets for a couple of her men. She also chose to acquire her top scars, her way of trying to forget the past, reject social norms placed on women and girls, and embrace her true identity.

At the age of 20, she and her team decided to apply for military service, working under the Intelligence Agency as a formidable group of agents. Eri made a name for herself in numerous missions, earning a reputation as a vengeful leader amongst the Regular Army. She was known for eliminating numerous individuals, including treacherous soldiers and corrupt politicians with some of her most notable assignments involving strategic seduction that lured her targets into vulnerable positions. However, she began to feel increasingly disillusioned by the constant assassinations and conspiracies that weighed on her conscience, reminding her of her time with the Ptolemaic Army. She applied for a transfer to S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., which was specially approved due to her exceptional record, indispensable skills, and intimate knowledge of the Ptolemaic Army's inner workings.

As the demolition and stealth expert of S.P.A.R.R.O.W.S., Eri led her rebel Ptolemaic soldiers with immense success. She befriended Fio and felt an instant, deep connection after a few interactions, viewing Fio as the younger sister she never had and vowing to protect her at all costs. She briefly hooked up with Gimlet, hoping it would end his flirtatious advances, but swiftly ended things after a make out session revealed his true nature: an attention-seeking narcissist. She played a crucial role in the Great Morden War by providing Marco's team with explosives, emergency rations, and valuable intel on Rebel Army positions through stealthy infiltration. Eri showcased her advanced combat and leadership skills by helping to thwart Morden's second coup, which was aided by her team, Fio, Tarma, and Marco.