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Friday, January 9, 2015

Tales of the Arx Jericho - Season 2 - Updated Cast of PCs and NPCs


Pilot Characters (PCs)



Rick Hunter 

Age: 15 (DOB: January 20th 2016)

Player: +Robert Ruthven

Quote: "We'll go to the dark side of the moon one day. We're gonna go there, we're gonna slaughter all the Mayzor, and we're going to take back what they took!"

Appearance
Medium build, light skin, dark hair.

Personality
Often seems bored or irritable, but still caring towards others. Can be quick to anger.

Background
Son of Rafe Hunter, a medical researcher, Rick thought things couldn't get worse after his dad went on the run after his illegal experiments on humans came to light. Then the Mayzor raided the town he lived in, on the outskirts of Metro Scotia, and Rick was powerless to stop the swarm from taking his mother, Meredith Buchanan.

Now it's just him and his sister, and when Rick swore vengeance upon the Mayzor and decided to join the SAInt program to fight them, Serena signed up along with him to keep an eye on her brother.

Company: Blue (Team Leader)

Hope: I will protect the people I care about.

Despair: I can't stand to see injustice go unpunished.

Friends: Serena Hunter, Joanne Klein

Rival: Dr. Donald "Scary Face" Johnson

Housing: Dorms

Attributes
Intellect 3 (Study +2, Observe +2)
Charm 3 (Empathize +2, Convince +2)
Coordination 3 (Firearms +2, Engineer +1)
Tone 3 (Close Quarters +3, Athletics +2)
Spirit 4 (Rally +2, Create +1)

Additional Information
Pilots a Prophet instead of a SAInt and is equipped with Twin 'Arc Swords (CQ, Attack Benefit +2, Damage Boost +2) as his main weapons and a backup 'Arc Knife (CQ, Attack Benefit +0, Damage Boost +1).

Recently started dating Joanne and runs an after school Kendo Club with her.

Fraternal twin brother of his company mate, Serena, whom he's been sharing flashbacks, dreams, and psychic thoughts with (possibly due to the AmBrO51A serum their father injected them with at a younger age OR a side effect of their Prophet training).

Dislikes his new, celebrity fame following the assault on Arx Jericho and is unnerved by it but still tries to act nonchalant and professional for the press.

Wants to go into space to fight the Mayzor, rescue his mum, and make the Mayzor General pay for his lies about being his father (if they actually were lies).



Sarah Werner

Age: 15 (DOB June 20th 2016)

Player: +Wolfie Fang 

Quote: "Look at that thing explode! Must have used my Limit Break without noticing..."

Appearance
A little tall for her age. She has long blonde hair and you can see a hint of her German heritage.

Personality
Fun loving and high spirited. She focuses on helping others and keeping everyone happy.

Background
Sarah had as normal as a normal life could be before in the States. Her worries were on how she could get a sleepover with her friends and how to keep her older brother from bothering her. After the invasion, she had to grow up fast. Her family escaped with their lives, and they've moved to a new urban city on the east coast, New Alamo. She hoped that she could go back to normal, but life was always spent in fear with each evacuation, and it was hard to have a sleepover when you never slept

It wasn't mandatory. She only got tested for the SAInt programs because everyone else was, and her brother kept bothering her about it, and honestly didn't realize what she had gotten into. Now she's worried she's lost what little freedom she's had left, but she's got a plan to go turn it around back to fun. She'll make new friends, work together, and she won't let her new chores stop them from having fun.

Her Brother Allen Werner is 17. He didn't make the cut. He definitely joined the preservation forces after, just to make sure he could get into the fight. The pestering is because his response to all this is just to fight, fight, fight. He's not on board the Arx, but I'm sure he set himself up to help defend our new home as much as possible. If bothering her is a relationship, I'm sure he has medals for it by now. 

Sarah is originally from what was Texas. While you may think it would be the longest lasting of the states, being a large state without much coastline, it just made a lot of people have to go to very few places. Thankfully though there were only a few big cities to draw attentions, and that got hit first. So while the first invasion did take it's toll, there was time to evacuate. She and her family left before they had to watch their own city go. It was a long travel to safety, but she was lucky not to lose anyone close to me. The real lose was in not being able to play, and have fun anymore. New Alamo was simply a city made bigger as Texas almost in a whole moved to the East. But that meant living in constant fear. Not the best name for a city to keep when you think of history. She still have lots of friends that live there as the city grows and evolves to deal with the threat of being a large city, but we've all learned ways to keep alive.

Her Mother and Father are BORING. They just do their job. Sarah's not mad though, she just doesn't want to turn into them. Perhaps that's why her Brother is so intend to get into the fight, just to do something interesting. Her and her Family separate from extended family though, before the invasion. Sarah has extended family in Germany she's rarely visited before all this, and some up in the northern states that used to keep in touch on Christmas. She doesn't know what happened to them, but she does hope they're okay. Her brother is honestly the only one how bugs her these days, though of course her parents to keep in enough contact in that "don't forget to wash behind your ears" kind of way.

Video Games! Can't deny that's always the first thing She'd go to. That and she will always go out and explore areas I'm not suppose to. Music can be fun too, if just to put you in the mood. Just doing things with friends is what's fun. I'm definitely quick to make a few friends wherever I go. It's not hard for her to understand them, and to find a few that want to have more fun, too.

She's heard the horror stories, and She's seen the destruction. She still can't see where some don't have hope. It's not that she doesn't know things are bad, but that she's seen the strength of people working together. She knows it's the helping hand that keeps us going. Where some see a horrible past, she see's a hopeful future. We've lost a lot, but we've also learned to work together; so really the best thing to do is keep each other going and growing.

Company: Blue

Hope: I will help my friends prosper.

Despair: I won't have any fun.

Friends: Serena Hunter, Leo "Raspberry" Hayes

Rival: Captain Anastasia "AK-47" Kasherov

Housing: Dorms

Attributes
Intellect 3 (Study +1, Observe +3)
Charm 3 (Empathize +3, Convince +1)
Coordination 2 (Firearms +2, Engineer +1)
Tone 2 (Close Quarters +2, Athletics +1)
Spirit 5 (Rally +1, Create +2)

Additional Information
Pilots a Prophet instead of a SAInt and is equipped with an RDav Combat Rifle "Giant Killer" (FA, Attack Benefit +1, Damage Boost +1) and a Sam-L Shield (CQ, Attack Benefit +1, Damage Boost +0, Cover +1) as her main weapons, a backup 'Arc Knife Bayonet (CQ, Attack Benefit +0, Damage Boost +1), and a Tiamat Multiple Missile System (HB [Observe], Attack Benefit +3, Damage Boost +1, 3 firings).

Huge fan of video games, especially the Shinobi Knights series, which she often plays with Leo instead of doing homework.

Cousin of Opsie.

Doesn't take nearly as much credit as what's given to her for the killing blow against Asmodeus during the assault of Arx Jericho.

Enjoys her new, celebrity fame and likes that she's able to bring hope to others through her victories. It also helps keep the spotlight on her which helps out her friends who are less happy with the attention.

The idea of going into space, the great unknown, scares her and she hates it. Gravity is good!

Believes Earth's counter-attack against the Mayzor is a stupid, stupid, stupid idea. Humanity has barely won a big battle and thinks it's time to push forward?! They're not even sure what the Mayzor are really up to!



Jason Reyes

Age: 14 (DOB: May 9th 2017)

Player: +David Andrews 

Quote: "1'500 meters, 9° elevation, windspeed 11kph NNE, easy shot."

Appearance
Average height and build, light brown hair and blue/brown eyes. Fair skin with freckles.

Personality
Unlike his former roommate, Strudel, Jason is quiet and reserved most times. Although he does have a penchant for assigning nicknames to people, places and objects.

Background
Jason is a 14 year old kid whose stepfather is career military. First in the Royal Australian Air Force, then in the Preservation Force. Not being the most physical or athletic kids, Jason never really got on with his step father despite wanting to. He see's becoming a SAiNT pilot to be his best chance of making his stepfather proud of him.

Company: Alpha

Hope: I will make my family proud and prove myself to my team and my superiors. 

Despair: Failing to protect those that matter to me most.

Friend: Alex "Strudel" Struder

Rival: Opsie Wessel

Housing: Dorms

Attributes
Intellect 3 (Study +2, Observe +2)
Charm 2 (Empathize +1, Convince +0)
Coordination 4 (Firearms +3, Engineer +3)
Tone 2 (Close Quarters +0, Athletics +1)
Spirit 3 (Rally +0, Create +1)

Additional Information
Pilots a SAInt equipped with an EZK-L Particle Beam (HB, Attack Benefit +0, Damage Boost +4, Reload) as his main weapon and a backup Levic Pistol (CQ/FA, Attack Benefit +0, Damage Boost +0). 

Stepson of Air Commodore (OF6) Martin Reyes, formerly of the Royal Australian Air Force, currently of the Presentation Forces, Western Pacific Division, aboard the Arx Galilee.

Originally from the suburbs of Sydney, Australia.

Watched the first, Mayzor invasion live on TV before moving to a military base on the outskirts of the city where his father was stationed. His first experience with the Mayzor occurred when the Australian government began evacuating their larger cities and dispersing the population. In the final stages of the evacuation, there was a Mayzor raid in Sydney and the evacuation center housed on the military base.

Volunteered for the SAInt pilot testing at which point his stepfather finally showed some interest in him. Jason's acceptance into the program resulted in the first, genuine, positive praise from his stepfather that he could remember.

Began dating Laurie Bach after his 14th birthday on Friday, May 9, 2031 and moved out of the foster home and into the dorms as Rick's new roommate. 

His mother, Monica, was abducted by the Mayzor while living in Sydney on Friday, June 13, 2031.

Hates his celebrity fame and being paraded in front of the cameras. Jason also hates that everyone wants to be his, "friend." He finds it a distraction and doesn't know if they want to be his friend because they like him or they like the idea of him.

Thrilled to go into space to fight the Mayzor. The idea of zero-G training sounds fun.




Marten "Skitz" Oiseleur

Age: 16 (DOB: February 9th 2015)

Player: +Russell Collins

Quote: "I'm asking for what I deserve."

Appearance
Lanky. Eyes fixed forward and a furrowed brow display the constant planning and scheming going on in his mind. He moves very deliberately as if he's always testing the ground beneath his feet. His clothes hang loose and the lines on his face show that he's lost a lot of weight, rapidly.

Personality
Marten always gets what he wants, eventually. Patient but insistent, he's got a one-track mind and the stamina to wear down anyone. He's a different person from who he was a year ago. Cooler, distant, and wrapped up in his own thoughts. Old Marten was an attention-hungry extrovert who still surfaces occasionally. 

Background
Marten's parents are cautious, nervous, fastidious people. He decided at an early age that they were cowards and as he noticed his brother and sister following the example he pushed back against it. His teen rebellion was sneaking out and then bragging to his family about the dangerous and exciting things he saw, scrambling around the docks of Marseille. They'd ground him and he'd either sneak out again or just browbeat his brother into helping him escape.

Marten qualified as a SAInt pilot on his 14th birthday and was deployed to the Arx Bethlehem. Pilot life suited him; he enjoyed being special among his peers and insisted that he be included in any advanced programs. This was the life of adventure he wanted. A dogged determination stood in for bravery and Marten tackled some dangerous situations through sheer willpower.

Eight months ago Marten's pilot pod was ruptured by a Magnas. His heart stopped and his brain was deprived of oxygen but his SAInt kept going and fought off the Magnas before he collapsed. He was recovered from the wreckage and spent months in a comatose state. When he finally revived he began physical and mental therapy to recover. Though he has completed his physical therapy, he is still psychologically troubled by the experience. He has vivid dreams in which he speaks with the "ghost" of his fallen SAInt and has admitted to having waking auditory hallucinations. Psych evaluations decided that he is still fit for duty, with a prescription that keeps the voices quiet.  

He's been reassigned to the Jericho, his old Arx and Company having moved on without him. That's alright for Marten. They weren't very close anyway after he "died." When they heard about his dreams and the SAInt whispering in his ear during math class they started calling him "Skitz." Marten's eager for a fresh start, with new challenges.

Company: Alpha

Hope: I believe that my stubbornness is a virtue.

Despair: I'm afraid for my mental health.

Friend: Stephanie Yuzuki

Rival: Dr. Elizabeth Harris

Housing: Dorms

Attributes
Intellect 3 (Study +1, Observe +2)
Charm 4 (Empathize +2, Convince +3)
Coordination 2 (Firearms +1, Engineer +0)
Tone 3 (Close Quarters +2, Athletics +2)
Spirit 4 (Rally +3, Create +0)

Additional Information
Pilots a SAInt equipped with a LaNSe Detonating Spear (CQ, Attack Benefit +1, Damage Boost +2, Reload) and a Levic Flechette "Stone Thrower" (CQ/FA, Attack Benefit +2, Damage Boost +0) as his two, main weapons.

Son of Louis and Simone Oiseleur from Marseille, France.

Has a younger brother named Antoine and a sister named Lola.

Also has a few cousins and an uncle somewhere, but the only family member to make a real impact on his life was his grandmother on on mother's side, Elise. She's more like Marten than the rest of his family. While they're wringing their hands and sending him messages about avoiding unnecessary risks, she's mailing him old photos of his great-grandfather in his army uniform.

Used his veteran status and a lot of insistent bargaining when he transferred to get attached to the highest profile company on the Arx Jericho (Alpha Company).

Loves the prospect of going into space. It's another one of those things that ordinary folks never get to do, making it one of the best things ever.



Esteban "Spearhead" Knowles

Age: 14 (DOB: October 25th 2017)

Player: +Lloyd Gyan 

Quote: "Commencing Agressive Diplomancy. Over and out."

Appearance
Black eyes, Cuban ethnicity, 5' tall. Wears typical military camo when available. Otherwise, he's always in uniform.

Personality
Esteban keeps to himself most of the time, preferring to pore over his military strategy books over making relationships of any kind. His idea of friendship and social communication is the sound of barked orders coming through his radio. He is not the type of person that makes long lasting relationships, as he has been brought up to think that at any time, he may be killed for his job. So why bother?

Background
Bred for war. The world has always needed soldiers. To be conquerors. Slayers of men. Battle ready hard-men. This was the philosophy Esteban's teachers taught him. Cuba has not been war torn for decades, but its people remembered a time when soldiers were needed. In preparation of a war they claim to not know was coming, they began to train orphans from birth to be the closest to warriors that they could. Esteban, a child orphaned by his parents being part of the great exodus, found himself enrolled in the 'Growing Soldiers' program, spending most of his life running military drills and learning to take orders.

From the moment of invasion, Esteban has been preparing for the front lines. The first of his kind to be of the right age for SAInt piloting, his superiors are watching his every move, testing him as a prototype for the others that will follow after his term of service.

Company: Alpha

Hope: I will make my superiors proud.

Despair: I cannot function without orders.

Friend: Kazuhiro Mazaki

Rival: N/A

Housing: Dorms

Attributes
Intellect 3 (Study +1, Observe +3)
Charm 1 (Empathize +0, Convince +2)
Coordination 2 (Firearms +2, Engineer +0)
Tone 5 (Close Quarters +4, Athletics +3)
Spirit 3 (Rally +0, Create +0)

Additional Information
Pilots a SAInt equipped with a LaNSe Detonating Spear (CQ, Attack Benefit +1, Damage Boost +2, Reload) as his main weapon, a a Tiamat Multiple Missile System (HB [Observe], Attack Benefit +3, Damage Boost +1, 3 firings), and a G-Mag Ground Effect Mobility Enhancement v.3.0 "skates" modification (Change Range Benefit +1 in smooth terrain).




Director Characters (NPCs)


There are three types of Director characters: extras, supporting characters, and antagonists. Supporting characters and antagonists may also be relationship characters for the PCs.

• Extras are the simplest characters that don't take part in a pilot's Actions as anything more than background.

• Supporting characters have Vigor/Focus ratings and add +1 Benefit when joining a team and assisting pilots or antagonists.

• Antagonists are more robust supporting characters that may pose a greater threat to a pilot and turn a scene into a Trial. In addition to Vigor/Focus, they also have Injury and Resolve ratings. They also roll dice in their actions to alter their challenge ratings through luck.




Serena Hunter

Supporting/Relationship Character: Rick's Friend, Sarah's Friend

Age: 15

Quote: "We're all in this together, and we must protect each other."

Appearance
Medium-height, light skin, dark hair, similar features as Rick. Face often solemn, barely any emotion and rarely ever a smile.

Personality
Cold, calculating, quick to despair and depression, loyal, earnest, fearful of her repressed memories coming back.

Background
Serena is Rick's fraternal, twin sister and the daughter of Rafe Hunter. When Rick first joined the SAInt program, she signed up as well in an effort to be with him and protect him.

Serena was a member of Alpha Company when the Chicago Catastrophe occurred, and she fell into a deep depression afterwards while blaming herself for not being able to save the rest of her company mates. She didn't talk to many people when she was in the hospital, and even Billy Henderson, her boyfriend at the time, usually failed to lift her spirits. Only her brother, Rick, was able to get a response from her every time they talked. He went to see her the most.

Shortly after, Serena became team leader of the new Alpha Company with Rick, Sarah Werner, Jason Reyes, and Alex 'Strudel' Struder. Billy became team leader of Bravo Company. Serena and Billy broke up around the time of Jason's 14th birthday, and she continued to reject Billy many more times from that point forward.

During the interface testing in June, 2031, Serena experienced a series of flashbacks to several years back, where she was strapped to a cot and being injected with a syringe by a dark-haired man who seemed to be grinning widely. Rick experienced the same dream and discovered the man to be their father, Rafe.

As Serena, Rick, and the rest of Alpha Company worked together to uncover clues, they eventually discovered that the human experiments Rafe Hunter conducted included a special, manufactured serum called, "Ambrosia," because of its chemical makeup: AmBrO51A. It turned out that Rafe was working for the CRC and that his test subjects were Prophet candidates and the whole, top secret operation was called the Apostle Project.

Both Serena and Rick were injected by their father, and the memories were so traumatic that their subconsciouses had blocked them all out, until they came flooding back during the interface testing. They discovered that Sarah's cousin, Opsie Wessel, who transferred over from the Arx Galilee was also injected with the serum and a Prophet candidate. Supposedly Sarah is also a candidate, but Rafe was never able to inject her with the serum.


Following the naval assault at the Bahamas, Serena took up her Prophet training alongside Rick and Opsie, and the three played a pivotal role in defending the Arx Jericho during the Mayzor raid and the attack of Asmodeus. In the past three months, Serena has risen to fame alongside her brother and company mates, but she doesn't particularly enjoy the fame; neither does she take advantage of it. Serena continues to remain by Rick's side in an effort to protect him.

Motivation: Protect Rick. Protect the team.

Ratings: Vigor 9, Focus 8

Company: Blue



Opsie Wessel

Antagonist/Relationship Character: Jason's Rival

Age: 16

Quote: "Yeah, that was like totally because of me. I know, I rock!"

Appearance
Tall, golden blond, bright blue eyes, attractive features, symmetrical face. She's one of the hottest SAInt pilots according to most of the boys, and she always flaunts her sensuality and beauty with outfits to match. She's made slight modifications to her school uniform but leaves her pilot suit as is. She doesn't mess around when it comes to piloting.

Personality
Independent, charismatic, loquacious, optimistic, enthusiastic, go-getter, persistent, courageous, generous. Opsie loves being the center of attention and projecting her opinions onto everyone else. She loves to take charge and take credit for almost everything, especially when it makes her look good or benefits her. Nevertheless, she's loyal and grounded when shit hits the fan. Still, there are only a handful of people that actually consider her a friend.

Background
Opsie Wessel was born in Munich, Germany and lived there for six years before her military parents divorced, and she moved to the Arx Galilee with her father who transferred to the Preservation Forces. She was an only child and always the center of her parents' affection, which they often bought.

Despite being spoiled and always getting what she wants, Opsie had exceptional charisma and the strength and intellect to be a natural born leader if she worked at it. In class and competitions, Opsie didn't always do as well as everyone thought she did, though she often cheated and took credit anyway. More than often, she actually pulled it off and fooled everyone. As she grew older, she relied less on her childish antics and focused more on her training to actually be the best.

Opsie graduated from the SAInt Program in 2028.

She's traveled back to Germany three times to see her mother. Opsie was 13 years old during her last visit, and it didn't have a pleasant ending, unbeknownst to Opsie. She thought she missed her flight, because she was out partying late with some childhood friends, but she was actually kidnapped by Rafe Hunter and CRC scientists, taken to a secret laboratory, and injected with the AmBrO51A serum. She was further drugged, her memory a blur, and Opsie caught the next flight back to the Arx Galilee.

In 2031, an incident occurred where Opsie went back to her roots and stole credit for leading her team in defending a nearby city from a Mayzor assault. Her team mate actually came up with the plan, but Opsie had some dirt on her and used that to claim the idea as hers. It earned Opsie a promotion and transfer to the Arx Jericho. She arrived on Friday, June 13th and became team leader of Charlie Company.

In the following months, Opsie was approached by Dr. Johnson and targeted by the CRC to receive special training in operating a new, experimental type of SAInt. She absolutely couldn't pass up the opportunity, and Opsie became the first SAInt pilot to join the Apostle Project.

The assault on Jericho was the first time Opsie and the rest of Blue Company, Rick Hunter and his fraternal, twin sister, Serena, assembled as a special ops team. Opsie's instincts kicked in, and she took all of the credit for defending against the assault and defeating Asmodeus. As members of Blue and Alpha Company became worldwide celebrities, Opsie made sure her name was at the top.

By 2032, Opsie has been featured in a plethora of magazines, blogs, talk shows, and she's struck deals with various companies and manufacturers to advertise their products, appear in commercials, and make quite a living on the side.

Her busy and luxurious lifestyle has been getting more and more hectic lately, and she seems less focused during her Prophet training. She'll seriously need to get it together if she wants to remain in Blue Company. As for going into the space and visiting the moon, Opsie can't wait! It sounds like an experience of a lifetime, and she'll certainly take credit for establishing a base of operations there in their counter attack against the Mayzor.

Motivation: Take credit for everything.

Ratings: Vigor 5, Focus 7, Resolve/Injury 3, Action Dice 3

Company: Blue



Joanne Klein

Antagonist/Relationship Character: Rick's Friend

Age: 14

Quote: "Captain, Rick's cheating! He's so annoying, and I'm so much better than him! Ugh, but he's so cute!"

Appearance
Somewhat petite, medium-long, blonde hair, usually always dressed in uniform or ready to deploy anytime, usually a stern face (disturbingly similar to AK-47's).

Personality
Fiercely competitive. Picks on others, like Stephanie and Rick. She's confrontational like Billy but less direct. She's more of a tease and usually not completely serious. She often picks on Rick, but in truth likes him a whole lot.

Background
Joanne Klein graduated from the SAInt program in 2031 at 14 years old, just one month after the Chicago Catastrophe. Both of her parents are divorced and work for the Preservation Forces aboard the Arx Galilee above Sydney, Australia. Due to unfortunate circumstances, the only way Joanne was able to join the program was by transferring to the Arx Jericho, and she did so in a heartbeat. She's an only child, and her parents hardly payed much attention to her other than buying her love.

Joanne shared a foster home with her soon-to-be best friend, Stephanie Yuzuki, another SAInt pilot who she now considers a younger sister.The two aren't that far apart in age either. During the testing and qualifying stage of the SAInt program up through graduation and continuing on today, the two have been inseparable. Joanne picks on her from time to time, but in the end, she's truly loyal to Stephanie. They both graduated from the SAInt program a month after the Chicago Catastrophe and formed the new, Bravo Company with Laurie Bach, and Leo 'Raspberry' Hayes, and team leader, Serena Hunter.

Joanne and Stephanie already knew Rick Hunter, Serena's fraternal twin brother, from their after school Kendo club with several other classmates who weren't part of the SAInt program. Though Joanne would never publicly admit it, she developed feelings for Rick, and the two became fierce rivals with a hidden, romantic tension between them.

She didn't gain quite as much fame as Billy Henderson, Opsie Wessel, or any of the pilots from Alpha Company following the assault on Jericho, but the world still knows her. Her admiration and scorn for Rick has grown tenfold, and her fame actually increased, when she started dating Rick. They now run the Kendo club together as officers, and they continue to compete with each other in roughly everything they do. Joanne is fiercely determined to become a Prophet pilot, and she's been pushing herself far beyond her limits during training in hopes of one day joining Blue Company and becoming Rick's company mate. 

Following Billy's resignation from the SAInt program, Joanne desperately wanted to take over as team leader of Bravo Company, but she grew livid when Captain Kasherov promoted Kazuhiro Mazaki to the position instead of her. AK-47 told her that Kazuhiro was a better fit for team leader at this time, but in a serendipitous turn of events, Sarah Werner left Alpha Company to join Blue Company, leaving a vacant spot for Joanne. Her bitterness and jealousy over Kazuhiro diminished, though she couldn't believe Sarah would get to pilot a Prophet before her! That left a bad taste in Joanne's mouth, but nevertheless, she was thrilled and honored to join the elite Alpha Company instead of being under Kazuhiro. She was even more thrilled and surprised to learn that she was actually being promoted to team leader of Alpha Company! To this day, she wonders whether Rick pulled some strings with AK-47 (they always did have a close relationship) or if she was promoted on her own merit. Either way, Joanne will happily take up the job. Hopefully it won't go to her head!

When Joanne's not busting her ass training or spending time with Rick, she's hanging out with a depressed Stephanie, trying to cheer her up.

In terms of going into space, there's one secret Joanne hasn't shared with anyone, not even Stephanie. Joanne has a mild to severe case of astrophobia and has been extremely on edge since the Arx Jericho went into orbit around the planet. She's terrified of actually leaving the Arx and entering zero G or even exploring the moon. What if she has a severe panic attack and publicly humiliates herself while letting her team down? She can't risk that happening, and it could help further explain why she's been training extra hard lately.

Motivation: Succeed by any means necessary.

Ratings: Vigor 9, Focus 8, Resolve/Injury 2, Action Dice 2

Company: Alpha (Team Leader)



Alex "Strudel" Struder

Supporting/Relationship Character: Jason's Friend

Age: 13

Quote: "Ooh! Hey guys! Is that candy? Can I have a piece? Hey guys! Ooh! Check it out!"

Appearance
Extremely short, ginger hair, freckles. Petite build.

Personality
Strudel is extremely hyper the majority of the time and exponentially so when given sugar. Despite his intensity and young adolescent instincts, he has a great heart, is extremely loyal, and greatly looks up to his friends. He overhears things far too often and knows way more than he probably should. He has more sympathy for Billy than most of his other friends with the exception of Serena perhaps. He's addicted to candy and is usually glued to his constantly-malfunctioning Linc.

Background
Strudel first joined Charlie Company when he was 12 years old. He shared a foster home with Jason Reyes, until Jason tuned 14 and moved into the dorms. Today, Strudel continues to live with his foster family and Miguel Rodriguez, his foster home mate, who's from Bravo Company. 

Early last year, Strudel started seeing a fellow classmate, Ryoko, before the Mayzor hit Brooklyn and Chicago. After the Chicago Catastrophe, Strudel and his teammates were promoted to Alpha Company, and he started seeing Stephanie Yuzuki of Bravo Company. The two of them were steady for a few months, until Opsie Wessel transferred over from the Arx Galilee. Strudel developed a serious crush on her, and Stephanie grew extremely jealous. They broke up in the fall, after the assault on Jericho, but ever since his rise to fame after the Jericho assault three months back, Strudel has developed quite a fan base and a plethora of secret admirers. He's not worried. Strudel's on cloud nine.

Rumor has it that Strudel and Ryoko, a member of Charlie Company and second in command to Laurie Bach, are seeing each other again. Rumor also has it that Strudel has been spending time with Lieke, the Mendicant pilot and Bala's twin sister, from Bravo Company. Strudel also has fan girls he hangs out with on the side too apparently. He's become quite a player, and he's embracing it while remaining oblivious to anyone it may affect.

He's psyched about going into space and can't wait for their first mission!

Motivation: Be like the cool kids.

Ratings: Vigor 6, Focus 4

Company: Alpha



Kazuhiro "The Tower" Mazaki

Supporting/Relationship Character: Esteban's Friend

Age: 16

Quote: "You bullies better run."

Appearance
Tall, dark hair, brown eyes, hardly ever a smile.

Personality
Strong, silent, charismatic type. Used to be bullied, now defends against bullies. Used to openly take credit, now he doesn't. Lives with regrets and dark memories.

Background
Kazuhiro was born prematurely and spent his childhood years considerably shorter than most of his peers. His biological parents were proud, Preservation Forces and military officers aboard the Arx Galilee who were always ashamed of their weak, stunted son. When Kazuhiro was 8, he was sent off to the Arx Bethlehem.

Though Kazuhiro was bullied most of his early life due to his small stature, he hit puberty prematurely and had a massive growth spurt when he was 12. It gave Kazuhiro the confidence he needed to try out for the SAInt Program. He began honing his strength and fighting skills, and he put them to use, as he defended fellow classmates from bullies, earning him a reputation and the nickname, The Tower. 

Despite his size and newfound strength, Kazuhiro found he couldn't fully control himself yet. An incident occurred when he was 13, where he accidentally sent a bully he was defending against to the hospital with a coma. Kazuhiro never forgave himself and went through a period of depression, where he didn't talk to anyone. He also put off joining the program and applied to transfer to another Arx. 

In short time, he decided to begin training again and applied to the SAInt Program one more time. Much to his surprise, he was accepted, and Kazuhiro was close to graduating when his application for transfer finally went through.

The Arx Jericho was expanding their SAInt Program and were looking for pilots, so Kazuhiro finished his training there. He moved into the dorms and became roommates with the team leader of Bravo Company, Billy Henderson. 

In June, 2031, Kazuhiro graduated and became an official pilot of Charlie Company.

Following the assault of Jericho, Kazuhiro began taking his training even more seriously than before. He's begun defending fellow classmates again, though he hasn't had as loud of a reputation as he did before. Over the last few months, he's gone up to Bravo Company and was promoted to team leader which didn't make Joanne Klein very happy.

Company: Bravo (Team Leader)



Stephanie Yuzuki

Supporting/Relationship Character: Marten's Friend

Age: 14

Quote: "Don't you dare hurt me."

Appearance
Short, petite, with deep, blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and long, blue hair. She's flexible, nimble, and can pack some power when she needs to into her swings during Kendo practice.

Personality
Fiercely loyal to her friends but generally somber and serious in her demeanor. She loves fiercely and does absolutely anything for the ones she loves, but she grows jealous easily and overreacts if she's hurt. She's always been easily depressed.

Background
Stephanie Yuzuki came from overseas and practically grew up aboard the Arx Jericho after being separated from her parents at birth. Since she was 9 years old, she begged her foster parents to give her permission to try out for the SAInt program. They refused every time, and Stephanie spiraled into depression each time. After she turned 12, Stephanie begged them once again, and they still refused. Stephanie nearly ended her own life, but after begging one last time, her parents finally gave her an ultimatum just short of her 13th birthday. They would grant her permission to try out, but she would have to find another foster home to live in and could never contact them again. They either really didn't want to get involved with the Preservation Forces or they were extremely paranoid about something, but they clearly wouldn't have anything to do with Stephanie if she joined the program. Stephanie left them and hasn't looked back since.

In 2030, Stephanie enlisted in the SAInt program and found another home, where she became foster mates with Joanne Klein. Joanne was only a few months older than Stephanie, and had coincidentally also signed up for the SAInt program. The two not only became best friends and company mates after graduation, they practically became sisters. After graduating from the SAInt program a month after the Chicago Catastrophe, Stephanie and Joanne joined Bravo Company alongside Laurie Bach, Leo 'Raspberry' Hayes, and team leader, Serena Hunter.

Before that, she joined Joanne in an after school Kendo club with Rick Hunter, Serena's fraternal twin brother and another SAInt pilot from Charlie Company, as well as several other classmates that weren't part of the program. It was then that she fell for one of Rick's company mates, a cute, ginger boy named Alex Struder. Most, however, called him Strudel, and she thought that was absolutely adorable.

Stephanie and Strudel started seeing each other right around the time of Jason's 14th birthday and had their first kiss during his birthday party.

They continued to date for several months, but after Opsie Wessel's arrival, their relationship began to decline. Strudel clearly had a crush on Opsie, and Stephanie grew extremely jealous of her. Stephanie and Strudel had several big fights during the summer, but the worst one took place right after their vacation on Bimini Island. 

After the assault on Jericho and Strudel's rise to fame, things grew even worse and they broke up for good. While the world learned Strudel's name, and he developed a fan base of secret admirers, Stephanie sulked and entered a deep depression that even Joanne hasn't been able to snap her out of, despite all the time she's spent trying to cheer her up.

Stephanie remains a part of Bravo Company and continues to be Joanne's number two.

Rumor has it she wants revenge on Strudel and all his secret admirers, but she still hasn't snapped out of her depression. Also, she's not thoroughly excited to go into space.

Motivation: Get revenge at all costs.

Ratings: Vigor 9, Focus 9

Company: Bravo



Leo "Raspberry" Hayes

Supporting/Relationship Character: Sarah's Friend

Age: 13

Quote: "I'm er- uh- oops- I mean - uh- er- eh- *gulp*"

Appearance
Short, dark hair, frantic look about him. His hair is unkempt, his clothes are never ironed, and he always looks like he's in a rush to go somewhere.

Personality
Socially awkward and introverted. Typically prefers interacting with others through virtual means as opposed to face-to-face. Loves games.

Background
Leo Hayes comes from a pretty tragic childhood. His family lived on a communal farm in western Kentucky, but his father was in the military, and Leo rarely saw him growing up. Leo's mother was taken by the Mayzor when he was 8 years old, but his father left him no time to grieve. He pulled some strings to get Leo transferred to the Arx Jericho, and Leo moved into a foster home. When Leo was 12, his father pulled some more strings to get Leo accepted into the SAInt program. Even though Leo never did too well at school, he found he an aptitude for piloting SAInt and graduated the program to join Bravo Company alongside his team leader, Serena Hunter, Laurie Bach, and two other pilots that died in the Chicago Catastrophe in 2031.

Leo earned the nickname Raspberry during his first year of the SAInt program. Professor Harris had announced her favorite ice cream flavor was raspberry, and that she might include that as a bonus question on a quiz. Leo embedded that into his memory, but when he took the quiz, the bonus question was completely unrelated. Nevertheless, raspberry was on his mind, because when he got the test back, he saw he wrote down raspberry. Most of his classmates laughed at him, and he became Raspberry. Ironically, he loves raspberries and anything raspberry-flavored.

Raspberry doesn't have many friends. He quickly developed a crush on Sarah Werner and began secretly stalking her and spying on her, though he's deeply ashamed to admit it. She finally caught him in the dorms one day and told him he didn't have to sneak around. He and Sarah quickly became friends and got together often to play video games. Unfortunately for him, though he still has a crush on her, she only sees him as a friend and a younger brother.

Raspberry may not be the brightest, strongest, or fastest SAInt pilot in his company, but he's extremely capable, dependable, and is there in a heartbeat when he's needed. He isn't immune to fear, but rarely does he ever run and abandon his team. It's happened a few times during training but never during a Mayzor attack. He's ambivalent about going up into space. He'll do what he's told, as long as he doesn't have to physically interact with too many people.

Raspberry really hasn't talked to his father much since he transferred over to the Arx Jericho. In his spare time, he's a leader for a high ranking guild in an MMORPG he plays, and he programs flight simulators.

Motivation: Don't get caught.

Ratings: Vigor 7, Focus 6

Company: Bravo



Captain Anastasia "AK-47" Kasherov

Antagonist/Relationship Character: Sarah's Rival

Age: 47

Quote: "Get to bed immediately! You have a pop quiz and simulation test tomorrow!"

Appearance
Tall, middle-age, blond hair, blue eyes, strong, athletic physique.

Personality
Strict, direct, confident, not afraid to speak her mind, sympathetic, gives praise when its deserved, loyal, motherly, soft and caring underneath a harsh and strict demeanor.

Background
Anastasia Yurilevna Kasherov was born in Moscow, Russia in 1984. She served her term in the military and immigrated to America years before the Legulus first revealed themselves to the world. Anastasia found work as a private contractor in New York City for years and built up quite a reputation for herself, but after the Legulus returned in 2029, renamed as Mayzor, Anastasia moved to the Arx Jericho and joined the Preservation Forces. Within half a year, she was promoted to the rank of captain, and on top of her Preservation Forces duties, she's also a strict professor, according to the SAInt pilots and many of their fellow classmates. She quickly earned the nickname, AK-47, and celebrated it in 2031, when she was actually 47.

Following the assault on Jericho, Captain Kasherov (Professor AK-47) has continued to lead the SAInt pilots in more rigorous and difficult tests and simulations in preparation for their upcoming missions aboard the moon. With the Apostle Project having gone public and the move to space initiated within half a year of the arx repairing itself, things were moving fast, and the SAInt pilots had to be ready.

Together with Commander Toshi Yamasuka, AK-47 oversaw the SAInt modification process in preparation for Operation Blue Moon (still a classified name undisclosed to the public). She gave Sarah Werner the OK to begin her Prophet training and join Blue Company, while promoting another team leader and recruiting new pilots for Alpha Company. She promoted Kazuhiro Masaki to team leader of Bravo Company and expanded the SAInt Program to fill Charlie Company and add Delta and Echo Company to the roster as well.

AK-47 seems close to Dr. Johnson and Dr. Harris and more often than not acts as their superior, though she still reports directly to Commander Yamasuka. If anything were to ever happen to the commander, Captain Kasherov would take up command in a heart beat. She certainly has all the traits necessary to be a strong leader of the Preservation Froces. Now that Billy Henderson has joined the team, and is being groomed by Dr. Johnson, AK-47 needs to keep an eye out for him. He's always been a go-getter with talks of one day taking over command himself.

Motivation: Get everyone through this alive.

Ratings: Vigor 7, Focus 7

Preservation Forces: Captain, Professor



Dr. Elizabeth Harris

Supporting/Relationship Character: Marten's Rival

Age: 37

Quote: "Everything will be alright. Just tell me what happened."

Appearance
Tall, long, platinum hair, glasses, military doctor's uniform, beautiful, charming smile.

Personality
Extremely kind, passionate about the lives and well being of the SAInt pilots, cheerful and optimistic at the worst of times, often a friend to all.

Background
Elizabeth Harris grew up in Sunnyvale, CA with her mother, father, and two older brothers. She had a pretty normal life growing up, but when she was 15, her older brother (the youngest of the two) took his own life, and it sent Elizabeth spiraling into a depression which lasted for months. She didn't have many, close friends but was always a cheerful, optimistic girl. However, her brother's death was a real test to her fortitude, and Elizabeth came out stronger than ever before. She decided to make her life mission helping people and to prevent such events from occurring again if she was ever met with the opportunity. 

She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology at the University of California - Berkley and went on to earn her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Stanford University with an emphasis on Affective Science. She then completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Child Psychology at Stanford and stayed at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences as a faculty member to perform research on the Science of Suicide Prevention.

After the Mayzor invaded in 2029 and the CRC and Preservation Forces built Arx and SAInts, Dr. Harris was offered a position aboard the Arx Jericho as the Resident Chief Psychologist and Psychiatrist as well as being a professor. Due to the gravity of the situation involving the alien attacks and the mental stress young pilots could develop while piloting the SAInts in the face of such danger, Dr. Harris absolutely couldn't refuse.

For the past, three years, she's been a savior aboard the Arx and an absolute angel when it comes to the pilots. Most trust her implicitly and seek comfort with her, as opposed to Dr. Johnson who many say, "isn't any help." In all honesty, Dr. Harris is probably the most warm, kind, and likable officer of the Preservation Forces, and many of the students and pilots would be devastated should anything happen to her.

Motivation: Ensure the health and well being of the pilots and their minds.

Ratings: Vigor 7, Focus 10

Preservation Forces: Resident Chief Psychologist, Emergency Doctor, Professor



Dr. Donald "Scary Face" Johnson

Antagonist/Relationship Character: Rick's Rival

Age: 54

Quote: "I'll get the truth out of you one way or another."

Appearance
Tall, burly, past middle age, unkempt dark, graying hair, bushy eyebrows, stern face, glasses, mustache, small beard.

Personality
Gruff, stern, intimidating, manipulative, badgering, prideful, looks like he's probably chock full of hidden agendas.

Background
Donald Johnson was born and raised in Seattle, Washington to a single mother and is the youngest of four. He never knew his father, who abandoned them before Donald was even born, but Donald resented him nonetheless. 

He attended the University of Washington and received his Bachelor's Degree in Psychology before earning his M.A./Ph.D. in Depth Psychology with Emphasis in Jungian and Archetypal Studies. From there, he went on to pursue a career as a Clinical/Analytical Psychologist in the Navy Medical Service Corps after a five-week, training program in Officer Development School (ODS) in Newport, R.I.

Dr. Johnson served in the military for twenty-four years and witnessed the Legulus Revelation, their denouncement/exodus, and the first and second Mayzor attacks before he joined the Preservation Forces in 2030 and came aboard the Arx Jericho as an Analytical Psychologist and Adjunct Professor. 

He began affiliating himself with the Cloistered Research Council in 2031 but wasn't deemed an official, CRC scientist; rather, he contributed his efforts and expertise to foster the growth of the Apostle Project - sometimes through expedient means.

In August, 2032, the pilots of Alpha Company discovered classified, CRC documents in Dr. Johnson's office pertaining to a select group of Prophet candidates including: Rick and Serena Hunter, Sarah, and her cousin, Opsie Wessel. They also discovered details on the AmBrO51A serum (Americium Bromine Oxide 51A) pertaining to the Apostle Project and encrypted files on his computer with a deciphering key in a strange, coded language belonging to the Mayzor.

After the pilots went on summer vacation, Jason decrypted the files to reveal several, shocking revelations regarding Dr. Johnson and his affiliation with the Mayzor. It turned out he was given instructions to upload a hand-sized, Wormwood-shaped flash drive to the main, Operations computer of the Preservation Forces which caused the MetaTron to experience static and interference a month earlier, when Alpha Company was deployed to New Alamo to quell the Mayzor raid and fight the Magnas Beelzebub and Thammuz. More, decrypted files revealed blueprints that Dr. Johnson had on several, new, aquatic-based Locusts (including the Cannon and Constrictor) and a list of islands the Mayzor were going to hit. The Bahamas, where the pilots were vacationing at, were on the list.

The pilots lost all trust in Dr. Johnson and revealed his alleged treachery to Captain Anastasia "AK-47" Kasherov, but on the day the Arx Jericho was attacked, Jason received an envelope from Dr. Johnson with a strange message that read: "Find the real source. Trace it back. Not all is what it seems."

Later, after Sarah's abduction by CRC scientists and the Arx Jericho's lockdown, Dr. Johnson came through for the pilots and led them to Rafe Hunter's secret laboratory, where a hologram image revealed him as a Mayzor-in-disguise who called himself the General. 

Given the fact that Dr. "Scary Face" Johnson (a nickname invented by Jason) was Rick, Serena, and Opsie's Prophet instructor, and played an integral role in prepping the upcoming, lunar missions for the pilots during the last four months, his true loyalties seem to be up in the air. 

Some are convinced he's one of the good guys; some are convinced he's an alien. Some even think he's a double agent.

Only time will tell which side he's really on and why he possessed those secret files and carried out orders from the Mayzor.

Motivation: Seek the truth out of others.

Ratings: Vigor 8, Focus 10, Resolve/Injury 2, Action Dice 2

Preservation Forces: Analytic Psychologist, Prophet Instructor, Adjunct Professor



Billy Henderson

Supporting Character

Age: 18

Quote: "What are you dweebs up to?"

Appearance
Tall, dark hair, preppy dresser, well built.

Personality
A jerk and an ass, plain and simple. He has a sensitive side he keeps hidden, which is perhaps what Serena was attracted to, but usually he's confrontational, prone to violence, and always throwing the first insult.

Background
Billy was 17 years old, when he was promoted to team leader of Charlie Company alongside Rick Hunter, Sarah Werner, Jason Reyes, and Alex 'Strudel' Struder. After the Chicago Catastrophe, Billy became team leader of the new, Bravo Company, while his younger colleagues surpassed him to form the new Alpha Company with Serena Hunter as their team leader. 

While Serena was in the hospital, tending to her wounds from the Chicago Catastrophe, Billy constantly stayed by her side, and Rick, Sarah, and Jason found out that the two had been dating for a little while. Billy and Serena continued to date but eventually broke up around the time of Jason's 14th birthday. 

For the next, several months, Billy led Charlie Company before he was promoted to team leader of Bravo Company with Joanne Klein as his second-in-command. He continued to remain a jerk to everyone but his company mates, and karma finally bit him in the ass during the beach trip to Bimini Island, when Rick and Jason publicly humiliated him in front of his fellow pilots after Serena rejected him yet again. After that, Billy's mental health seemed to rapidly decline. When the CRC facility aboard the Arx Jericho went into a lockdown, Billy showed up crazed and with a pistol, threatening Dr. Johnson in an effort to protect Serena. 

Nevertheless, Billy came through in the end when the Mayzor invaded the Arx Jericho and brought the Throne Rank Magnas, Asmodeus, along with them. He was awarded a series of medals, and he became almost as famous as Rick, Sarah, Jason, Opsie, Serena, and Strudel. 

Billy retired as a SAInt pilot just three weeks short of his 18th birthday but continues to work for the Preservation Forces. Rumor has it that he's being groomed by Dr. Johnson to one day be the new head of security for the Arx Jericho Preservation Forces. Rumor also has it he's going to be a professor as well.

Motivation: Pick on those weaker than me.

Ratings: Vigor 10, Focus 7

Preservation Forces: Junior Security Officer, Adjunct Professor



Rafe Hunter

Antagonist

Age: 45

Quote: "Don't you recognize me, children?"

Appearance
Medium-length, dark hair, small nose, chiseled face, large ears, creepy eyes.

Personality
Secretive, eccentric, serious, calculating, socially abandoning, high resolve toward achieving what he wants.

Background
Rafe Hunter is the husband of Merideth Buchanan and father of fraternal twins, Rick and Serena Hunter. Though much of his past and present remain a mystery, he was a publicly known medical researcher who went on the run after his illegal experiments on humans came to light prior to the first, Mayzor invasion of 2029. 

Though originally from Metro Scotia, he made contact with Rick in 2031, when the Mayzor attacked Brooklyn, NY and nearly destroyed his laboratory hidden in the borough. Rafe was captured by the military but placed under the charge of the CRC aboard the Arx Jericho.

The pilots of Charlie Company, who were later promoted to Alpha Company, overheard Captain Anastasia "AK-47" Kasherov speaking to CRC scientists about how the UN military wanted custody of Rafe (most likely to have him tried for crimes against humanity concerning his experiments).

Rafe remained hidden away at the CRC for nearly half a year, until September 2nd, when Sarah Werner was abducted by CRC scientists and taken to the facility, where Rafe tried her inject her with the AmBrO51A (Americium Bromine Oxide 51A) serum to expedite the process of deepening her mind's psychic connection with the SAInt and transcend her human limitations to be able to successfully pilot a Prophet. Sarah managed to escape, but as it turns out, Rafe had already injected at least three, other Prophet candidates in years past - including his son, daughter, and Sarah's cousin, Opsie Wessel in Germany.

After the CRC and the Arx Jericho went into lockdown and the Mayzor attacked the Arx directly, the pilots of Alpha Company, with the help of AK-47 and Dr. Donald "Scary Face" Johnson, discovered Rafe had a second laboratory hidden deeper in the CRC facility. There, they saw dismembered, non-operational Mayzor Locusts and Swarm; pieces of Wormwood; blueprints for new, never-before-seen, aerial-based Locusts; tapestries depicting a brilliant, woman with white hair and shining, ivory-colored, porcelain armor; deprivation tanks filled with human test subjects; chemistry kits, tubes, and elaborate set ups for experimenting with the AmBrO51A serum; and Rafe himself - only he wasn't. He was much paler with long, silver hair,  and wore the same armor as the woman in the tapestries.

When the pilots and Preservation Forces officers confronted him, Rafe laughed wickedly and asked his two children, "Don't you recognize me, son? Daughter? It's me. I'm your father." He held a Wormwood-shaped, flash drive in his hands - the same kind Dr. Johnson allegedly uploaded to the Preservation Forces' main, Operations computer - and Rick said, "But you're a... you're a..."

"...Legulus," Rafe replied. He then went on to say, "You're too late," and called himself the General.

The hologram disappeared and a self-destruction sequence was initiated to blow up the CRC facility, but Jason came through and stopped it just in time.

Since the Mayzor assault on the Arx Jericho, and it's reconstruction and ascension to orbit, no one has seen or heard of Rafe Hunter's whereabouts. He's currently considered a highly, dangerous fugitive and is on the UN military's Most Wanted list.

Is Rafe Hunter really an alien on the run? Was it all a ruse perpetuated by the Mayzor, and the real Rafe Hunter is somewhere out there, possible held captive or in danger? Rick, most of all, is searching for the answers, and only time will reveal the truth.

Motivation: Appear to be something I'm not.

Ratings: Vigor 11, Focus 11, Resolve/Injury 3, Action Dice 3

CRC: Lead Scientist


Laurie Bach

Extra

Age: 15

Quote: "Anything for you, sweetie. Just let me kill these Locusts first."

Appearance
Taller than average but with a petite build. She has pale, light skin, attractive eyes, long, stylized, pink hair, and wears cute outfits when she's not in her school uniform or pilot suit.

Personality
Loving, loyal, committed. She can get jealous like any other girl, but she doesn't generally hold a grudge or has much of a temper. She's genuinely happy most of the time, despite the Mayzor attacks, but she's not incapable of being sad. She's smart, quick-thinking, charismatic, and respected by the rest of her company mates and fellow pilots.

Background
Growing up, Laurie Bach always seemed exceptionally capable at any task she put her mind to. She was living in Chicago with her family, when the results of an early aptitude test she took drew the attention of the Preservation Forces. They contacted her family directly, and Laurie was invited to apply to the SAInt program when she was only 11 years old. 

She moved into a foster home aboard the Arx Jericho but rarely saw them, while she underwent training. Laurie graduated when she was 12 and helped form Bravo Company as second-in-command to her team leader, Serena Hunter. Everything seemed to be going great for Laurie, but the Chicago Catastrophe changed everything.

Fortunately, Laurie didn't lose her parents, but she did lose some of her company mates, and the whole event really shook her. She entered a slight depression for a little while but did her best to stay strong. Surrounding herself with friends surely helped. In the end, Laurie got over it, but she still gets nightmares from time to time and may have PTSD without even realizing it.

Laurie's love life has always been pretty transparent. She's into boys and often finds herself attracted to the quiet, nerdy types. It's no surprise then that she fell for Jason Reyes the moment she lay her eyes on him. During his 14th birthday birthday, Laurie gave him an extra special birthday present and a kiss, and the two have been together ever since.

Ever since the expansion of the SAInt program and the addition of three, new companies since the Jericho assault, Laurie has been given an opportunity she simply couldn't say no to. She was transferred from Bravo Company and promoted as team leader of the new Charlie Company with Ryoko as her second-in-command. Meanwhile, her longtime friend and Bravo Company mate, Leo 'Raspberry' Hayes, stayed back as part of Bravo Company.

Laurie continues to try her best and hopes to continue working for the Preservation Forces long after her retirement from the SAInt program. She's intrigued to be going into space and envisions a romantic evening between her and Jason right in the midst of stars or on the surface of the moon.

Company: Bravo



Bala & Lieke "The Twins"

Extra

Age: 15 each

Quote: "We are not two but two halves that, together, make one."

Appearance
Twin brother (Bala) and sister (Lieke). Dark hair, dark skin, short and somewhat petite.

Personality
Lieke (88%): quiet, reserved, shy, introverted, relaxed, feminine, friendly, serious, more prone to fear.

Bala (88%): outspoken, courageous, extroverted, comical, masculine, short-tempered, blase.

Both Twins share 12% of each other's personality traits. When they're together and in-sync, they mesh so well and balance each other out, that they practically become one, well-rounded person.

Background
The Twins, Bala and Lieke, were born in Shimoga district in the Karnataka state of India. Their father worked in a foundry belonging to one of the largest, private-sector employers in the region. They going to follow suit, but the Mayzor invaded, and the city was a target in one of the earlier attacks.

The foundry was attacked by Locusts, and the Twins' father was caught in an explosion, while their mother was abducted by Swarm. Bala and Lieke helped each other escape and survive. Once the Arx Jerusalem appeared hovering over Karnataka, the Twins found themselves hitching a ride there in order to attempt and join the SAInt Program they'd been hearing about.

Though they had slightly different personalities, the Twins were fiercely determined to pass the necessary exams, ace all the interviews, and become SAInt pilots so that they could avenge their father and possibly bring back her mother. They had a strong resolve, and they were full of hope despite everything that'd happened in the world. They certainly would need it, because neither one of them did as well as they should have on the exams. 

Despite their underwhelming marks, they were given an opportunity to be interviewed. Alone, they didn't do as well as they wanted to, but the recruiting officer must have seen potential in them, because he granted them a third interview - together.

The officer was right. Together, the Twins nailed it and were accepted into the SAInt Program. Meanwhile, the Arx Jericho became one of the first air ships to produce the Mendicant variety of the SAInt, and the Twins were transferred there midway through their program.

They graduated from the program at the beginning of August in 2031.

95% of the time, the Twins practice together, take exams together, execute tasks together, eat together, exercise together, and have devoted themselves to always be in sync for as much as they can. The determination and hope they share is the glue that binds them together, while they shine as one.

Since the assault on Jericho and the rise into space, Bala and Lieke have been training even harder than before, and they were both promoted to Bravo Company in October.

As the New Year approaches, and the CRC and Preservation Forces get ready to start executing their plans of counter-attack, the Twins want nothing more than to have a go at the Mayzor mother ship and find their mother. They're ready for space. They've come this far, and nothing will stop them, unless it's death.

Company: Bravo



Ryoko Mizushima

Extra

Age: 13

Quote: "Ooh, he's cute! Oh my gosh, he is too! Ugh, time for another mission? Fiiine!"

Appearance
Petite, medium-length, stylized, blue hair, purple eyes, adorable, innocent face with a hint of mischief.

Personality
Contemplative, charismatic, childish, flighty, easily depressed.

Background
Was an ordinary classmate of the SAInt pilots, until she joined the SAInt Program in the past few months and graduated as team leader of Charlie Company.

She almost started dating Alex "Strudel" Struder last year, but he, "stood her up," due to a SAInt mission in Brooklyn, NY. Since then, she's moved on but has fallen for him again due to his rising, celebrity fame since the Mayzor assault on the Arx Jericho.

Now that Ryoko's a SAInt pilot, she's even more thrilled to spend time with him more. She definitely wants to achieve the same fame for herself, and although she's naturally gifted and charismatic, she just doesn't seem up to all the self-discipline and following orders.

Who knows, maybe the payoff will be worth it. She'll just have to suck it up and find ways to have fun!

Company: Charlie (Team Leader)



Miguel "Crybaby" Rodriguez

Extra

Age: 12

Quote: "*sniffle*"

Appearance
Short, dark hair, large, golden brown eyes, dark skin.

Personality
Lacks confidence, easily upset, good heart, loyal, lacks strength but extremely perceptive and intelligent.

Background
Miguel grew up moving around a lot, as his parents were in the Preservation Forces. The last place they moved to was Brooklyn, NY, in 2027.

Though Miguel was small, weak, and socially awkward, he was naturally gifted and did exceptionally well in school. He was very close to his parents, even though he hardly knew anything about what they did. Miguel's father brought up the notion of joining the SAInt Program and pushed the idea, though Miguel found the whole idea rather frightening and not worth his effort.

Miguel's father did everything he could to persuade his son to apply to the SAInt Program, including almost tricking Miguel into applying to the program through a special,  school exam he was singled out to take. It didn't fool Miguel, and when his father pointed out how perceptive he really was, it gave Miguel just the right amount of persuasion and confidence to apply.

He quickly got accepted at age 11, and his parents also received transfers, so they all moved to the Arx Jericho in May, 2031. Miguel graduated from the SAInt Program in June, 2031 and joined Charlie Company alongside Kazuhiro Mazaki.

He replaced Jason Reyes as Alex Struder's foster home roommate.

Following the assault on Jericho, Miguel has remained in Charlie Company while Kazuhiro went on to become team leader of Bravo Company.

Company: Charlie



Commander Toshi Yamasuka

Extra

Age: 53

Quote: "Officers, you have your prerogatives and objectives for this mission. Oversee your companies to ensure nothing short of absolute victory."

Appearance
Medium-tall, perfect posture, medium-length, purple hair, matching eyes, a smooth, wise face, and she never has a single wrinkle in her uniform.

Personality
Cold but fair, goal-oriented, keeps her emotions in check (some would say she's emotionless), distant, intelligent, intuitive, a fierce negotiator, and a keen observer.

Background
TBA

Preservation Forces: Commander



Allen Werner

Extra

Age: 17

Quote: "I got your back, sis. Command, what are my orders?"

Appearance
Tall, short, blonde hair, blue eyes, similar features as his younger sister, Sarah Werner.

Personality
Charming, lovable, nurturing, though quite different from his sister in that he's more serious and self-disciplined when it comes to studies, following orders, and not wasting time having fun.

Background
Allen grew up in Texas with his mother, father, and younger sister, Sarah Werner, before the Mayzor invaded in 2029 and destroyed his home town, forcing the family to move to New Alamo in the southeastern United States. 

When Sarah joined the Preservation Forces, Allen left home as well, except he didn't qualify for the SAInt Program and became a Robbie pilot for the Preservation Forces' army instead.

He's close with his sister and visits her from time to time, but he has his own life and duties to fulfill aboard the Arx Jericho.

One thing Allen does share with his sister is his distaste for going into space. Robbies can't really fight in space, and all the low gravity and zero-G training makes him sick from time to time. He, too, believes the CRC and Preservation Forces are in the wrong for going after the Mayzor, but he's a soldier tasked with following orders and always keeps his opinions to himself.

Preservation Forces: Robbie Pilot



Commander McGarry

Extra

Age: 65

Quote: "Raise the defense shields, secure the weapons!"

Appearance
Tall, well-built, gray hair, stern face, appears somewhat younger than his age.

Personality
Stubborn, close-minded, argumentative, charismatic, old-fashioned, tolerates the CRC/Preservation Forces but doesn't consider them friends of the UN military necessarily.

Background
Served in the US Army straight out of high school and quickly rose up the ranks due to his natural-born leadership qualities, bravery, and intelligence. He completed several tours in Kuwait during the Iran-Iraq War and was instrumental during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the Iraq War under the Bush Administration. 

By the time the Mayzor invaded in 2029, he held the rank of Sergeant Major of the US Army (SMA) and later became Commander of the UN Military Forces after many of the world governments and militaries were disassembled and unified under the United Nations.

He transferred to the Arx Jericho to head the UN Military Forces, US Division, and is oversees all, military personnel (not belonging to the CRC/Preservation Forces) on the Arx Jericho.

While he often clashes with Commander Toshi Yamasuka of the Preservation Forces, he has the United Nations' best interests at heart as well as protecting the human population of Earth from the Mayzor. 

Military: Commander of the UN Military Forces, US Division, Arx Jericho



Annalise Lafayette

Extra
Age: 15
Hometown: Martinique, French Antille
Company: Charlie



Conrad Andersen

Extra
Age: 14
Hometown: Oslo, Norway
Company: Charlie



Javier Ontonado

Extra
Age: 14
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Company: Charlie



Winston Thornton

Extra
Age: 17
Hometown: London, UK
Company: Delta



Jonathan Sinclair

Extra
Age: 14
Hometown: Wisconsin, USA
Company: Delta



Lina Madan

Extra
Age: 15
Hometown: Adilabad, Telangana, India
Company: Delta



Jared Blackwell

Extra
Age: 13
Hometown: Washington, USA
Company: Delta



Anya Rhodes

Extra
Age: 16
Hometown: New York, USA
Company: Delta



Flann O'Connor

Extra
Age: 17
Hometown: Belfast, Ireland
Company: Echo



Akachi Afolayan

Extra
Age: 13
Hometown: Southwestern Nigeria
Company: Echo



Aisha Nagi

Extra
Age: 13
Hometown: Tunis, Tunisia
Company: Echo



Renzo Morandi

Extra
Age: 14
Hometown: Naples, Italy
Company: Echo



Winifed Ellis

Extra
Age: 12
Hometown: Cardiff, Wales
Company: Echo



**IMPORTANT NOTE: All images are taken from Google searching and are used without permission. I claim no ownership or copyright over them. If you want me to take them off this site, please send me an email at misha.polonsky@gmail.com or leave a post in the comments, and I will gladly oblige.**

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

AP (ToaM) - Tales of the Arx Jericho - A Timeline of Season 1





We just launched Tales of the Arx Jericho - Season 2 this past Sunday, and for any of you just joining in, the above is a timeline summarizing the events starting with the revelation of the Legulus in 2014 to the assault of the Arx Jericho in 2031 and what has happened in the last four months of the game leading up to the new year (2032). 

Credit goes to TimelineJS, a free, open-source tool used to create the visual timeline above.

If you can't view it above, here's the timeline in regular, text format below (sans pictures unfortunately):




Timeline of Events


April 5th 2014 - They Are Among Us / Universal Communion

The Legulus reveal themselves on Earth and offer aid to mankind through their gifts and sciences while erecting colonies of silver and porcelain (esp. in third world nations).

The media names their religion, "Universal Communion," and the world adopts it, shortening it to, "The Communion."



February 18th 2015 - Acceptance

The Legulus begin accepting selective humans into their settlements, while other humans form camps outside and worship the aliens as saviors and angels. The Legulus neither encourage nor discourage this.



April 3rd 2017 - Denouncement

The Pope denounces the worship of Legulus as angelic messengers or new prophets, and the organizations of nearly every major religion follow suit.

Tensions continue to rise, as Legulus settlements expand over the next, two years.



April 4th 2019 - Exodus

The Legulus settlements gather as many devotees as they can, close the doors, lift-off simultaneously, and ascend into orbit, disappearing behind the moon.



July 4th 2029 - Invasion

The Legulus return to invade Earth in their Wormwoods. They are henceforth called the Mayzor.



Monday, March 24, 2031 - First Encounter

Season 1, Episode 01

The Mayzor invade Brooklyn, NY and Chicago, IL. Charlie Company departs the Arx Jericho and lands in Brooklyn, while Alpha and Bravo Companies land in Chicago.



Monday, March 24 - Tuesday, March 25, 2031 - Tragic Memories

Season 1, Episode 02

Charlie Company destroys the Mayzor attacking Brooklyn and Belial, the Principal Rank Magnas.

Chicago Catastrophe - Serena Hunter, Laurie Bach, and Leo 'Raspberry' Hayes defeat the Mayzor attacking Chicago and Vepar, the Dominion Rank Magnas, however most of the SAInt pilots of Alpha Company and Bravo Company don't survive the battle.

Jason overhears AK-47 talking to a couple of CRC scientists about Rafe Hunter being held by the CRC and that the military wants custody of him instead; Jason also overhears that Rafe has classified research the CRC needs concerning something called the Apostle Project.



Friday, May 9, 2031 - Celebrations and Romance

Season 1, Episode 03

Joanne Klein and Stephanie Yuzuki have graduated from the SAInt program and joined Bravo Company.

Jason Reyes celebrates his 14th birthday party.

Alex 'Strudel' Struder begins dating Stephanie Yuzuki.

Jason starts dating Laurie.

Joanne reveals some of her true feelings to Rick Hunter.

Charlie Company is dismantled; Rick, Sarah Werner, Jason, and Strudel are promoted to Alpha Company with Serena as their team leader.

Billy Henderson is promoted to Bravo Company as their new, team leader.

Alpha Company: Serena (TL), Rick, Sarah, Jason, Strudel

Bravo Company: Billy (TL), Joanne, Stephanie, Laurie, Raspberry



Friday, June 13, 2031 - Revelations

Season 1, Episode 04

Kazuhiro Mazaki (16) and Miguel Rodriguez (11) have graduated from the SAInt program and have formed the new Charlie Company.

Jason moves into the dorms with Rick as his roommate, while Miguel replaces Jason as Strudel's new roommate at the foster home.

Kazuhiro moves into the dorms and becomes Billy's new roommate.

During interface testing, Rick and Serena recall memories of their father injecting them and Opsie Wessel with the AmBrO51A serum.

Jason dreams of the Mayzor invading the Arx Galilee and Sydney which actually happens, and Jason learns his mother has been abducted.

Sarah has a precognitive dream of a Mayzor battle in New Alamo, which Alpha Company participates in.

Opsie transfers from the Arx Galilee and arrives at the Arx Jericho by helicopter.



Saturday, June 14, 2031 - Tests, Secrets, and Summer Drama

Season 1, Episode 05

Alpha Company overhears AK-47, Dr. Johnson, and several CRC scientists in the garden talking about Opsie piloting a P-class SAInt and more references to the Apostle Project.



Thursday, July 3, 2031 - Remember New Alamo! Part 1

Season 1, Episode 06

The Mayzor invade New Alamo. Alpha Company is deployed to counterattack with Bravo Company as backup, but their deployment trajectory is rerouted to the West Coast.

The MetaTron is hacked and experiences strange static before all communication from Alpha Company to HQ is terminated.

Alpha Company battles both Beelzebub, Dominion class Magnas, and Thammuz, Principal class Magnas, by themselves without backup or communication with HQ.



Thursday, July 3, 2031 - Remember New Alamo! Part 2

Season 1, Episode 07

During their debriefing, the SAInt pilots notice Dr. Johnson grinning at the mention of MetaTron static, and Billy confesses that he saw Dr. Johnson sneaking around the Operations computer room shortly before the New Alamo invasion.

Dr. Johnson speaks privately to Serena after the debriefing.



Friday, July 4, 2031 - Remembrance Day

The SAInt pilots and the Preservation Forces celebrate Remembrance Day (remembering the first Mayzor invasion of 2029).



Thursday, August 14, 2031 - To The Beach

Season 1, Episode 08

Bala and Lieke (13), collectively known at 'The Twins' have graduated the SAInt program and joined Charlie Company.

Alpha Company breaks into Dr. Johnson's office and acquires classified, CRC documents and encrypted, computer files:

• Psychological evaluations and progress reports for Serena and Opsie who are underground P-class SAInt training for the Apostle Project.

• More information on the Apostle Project and what the P-class SAInts (Prophets) actually are.

• Details on the AmBrO51A serum (Americium Bromine Oxide 51A) which expedites the zen-like state achieved by Prophet candidates after being in their system for several months to several years.

• Encrypted computer files have a deciphering key attached, but Jason needs time to decode them.



Friday, August 15, 2031 - To The Beach (cont.)

Season 1, Episode 08

The SAInt pilots take a summer vacation to the Bahamas.

Jason's Linc decrypts one of Dr. Johnson's files, revealing instructions for Dr. Johnson to attach a hand-size, Wormwood-shaped flash drive object to the Operations main computer.



Saturday, August 16, 2031 - Bad News and Beach Drama

Season 1, Episode 09

Jason recovers the second, decrypted file after it almost becomes corrupted; it contains detailed blueprints of New Alamo, plans for the Mayzor attack, and instructions for Dr. Johnson to redirect Bravo Company's Jehu's Bow trajectory before hacking into the MetaTron.

Alpha Company tells AK-47 about the information they've uncovered.

The third, decrypted file contains blueprints for two, new aquatic-class Locusts, the Constrictor and the Cannon, and a list of coastal cities and islands the Mayzor are targeting, including the Bahamas.

AK-47 reveals an underground base on Bimini Island to Alpha Company and the Twins, containing aquatic SAInt prototypes in case of a naval, Mayzor assault.



Sunday, August 17, 2031 - A Naval Assault

Season 1, Episode 10

The Mayzor invade the Bahamas using new, naval class Locusts and battle Rick, Sarah, and Jason in their prototype, aquatic SAInts.

Rick, Sarah, and Jason defeat the Mayzor and Enki, a Dominion class Magnas.

AK-47 asks Rick to join Serena, Opsie, and Dr. Johnson at the CRC facility for Prophet training.

Sarah is promoted as new team leader of Alpha Company.



Tuesday, September 2, 2031 - The Enemy Within

Season 1, Episode 11

Rick, Serena, and Opsie undergo their Prophet training together at the CRC facility.

Sarah is abducted by CRC scientists and taken to Rafe Hunter at the facility to be injected with AmBrO51A serum.

Jason, Strudel, and Allen Werner undergo a rescue mission to save Sarah.

Sarah escapes Rafe and the injection but is chased down after the CRC facility and Arx Jericho enters a lockdown.

Billy threatens Dr. Johnson with a gun and ends up trapped inside the facility with Rick and Serena. 

Opsie darts off and runs into Jason, Strudel, Allen, Sarah, and AK-47 who disguised herself as a CRC scientist.

Alpha Company is reunited with Billy, Allen, and AK-47, when the power goes out. They run into Dr. Johnson and follow him to Rafe Hunter's office, where they discover a secret hangar/laboratory filled with: test subjects encased in glass tanks, chemistry sets, AmBrO51A serum, a crashed satellite, deconstructed aquatic Locusts, prototype designs for Locusts, and paintings and tapestries of a white woman with pale skin and silver hair wearing armor of glowing, white porcelain.

The hangar/laboratory also contains the words, Operation Blue Moon, classified designs for the Prophets, references to someone called 'The General', and a hologram of a transformed Rafe Hunter with silver hair who calls himself Legulus and the General.



Tuesday, September 2, 2031 - The Battle of Jericho, Part 1

Season 1, Episode 12

Locusts hidden away in the secret hangar suddenly wake up, as a self-destruct timer starts which Jason defuses.  

While the CRC facility and Arx Jericho are still under lockdown, the Mayzor invade directly with the usual arsenal of Locusts and two, new, aerial classes: the Choppers and the Bombers.

Rick, Serena, and Opsie deploy in their Prophets as the newly formed Blue Company, while the other pilots escape the facility and board their SAInts.

Alpha and Bravo Companies team up to battle the Mayzor and help rescue their fellow pilots aboard the Arx, while Blue Company does the same and goes after the aerial Locusts.

The MetaTron is hacked again, Commander Yamasuka's voice is replicated, Joanne SAInt frenzies and turns on Strudel, and several other pilots' SAInts frenzy and turn on the Robbies and military.



Tuesday, September 2, 2031 - The Battle of Jericho, Part 2

Season 1, Episode 13

Asmodeus, the most feared and despised Throne rank Magnas, attacks the Arx Jericho but is fought off and destroyed by all four SAInt companies and the Preservation Forces working in unison.



September 3rd 2031 - January 4th 2032 - Reconstruction and Ascension 

Over the past, few months, the Arx Jericho has not only repaired itself with unprecedented speed, it's also revealed technological advancements which have shifted it from hovering just above the midwestern, US Territory to orbiting the Earth in space, parallel to the moon.

The name of the Apostle Project has gone public, though concrete details on the Prophets, Blue Company, and Operation Blue Moon remain classified within the CRC aboard the Arx Jericho.

Rafe Hunter is a global fugitive who's still missing. Militaries across the world and the Preservation Forces are offering huge rewards for any information that would lead to his arrest.

Billy retired from the SAInt program just three weeks short of his 18th birthday and is now the Junior Head of Security for the Preservation Forces of the Arx Jericho.

Kazuhiro has been promoted to team leader of Bravo Company.

The pilots of Blue and Alpha Companies, who defended Jericho during Asmodeus's assault, have been invited for an interview by the Global News Network to be seen by millions around the world.

The Preservation Forces assign new missions to Blue and Alpha Companies that will take place on the moon.

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

A Gamer's New Year Resolutions for 2015

Happy New Year everyone! 

I still have over four hours left here in the States, but I want to copy over a tradition from the PbP site I own/run (GotEXP), where I've posted gaming-related, New Years Resolutions for the past 10 years. 

Before I jump into it, I want to take a moment and thank every one of you who reads this blog. I've never been a consistent blogger and was surprised I actually kept up with it for three months, when I revived the blog back in June. Work and personal life got the better of me for the last four, yet I still noticed activity here and readers checking out my posts despite my inactivity, so I want to keep at it and thank all of you again for reading.

I hope 2015 brings you all joy, the best of luck, and happy gaming!

Now, let's see what resolutions I put down for 2014 and what I accomplished, before I list my goals for 2015:

New Years Resolutions for 2014

1. Run a game of Dungeon World, where at least one PC reaches level 10
2. Have a PC in Dungeon World reach level 10
3. Run and/or play Inverse World and Pirate World
4. See some of my submissions for Pirate World make it into the book
5. Play Mouse Guard, Torchbearer, and Burning Wheel
6. Play Lady Blackbird
7. Play The Quiet Year
8. Play Fiasco and Durance
9. Play FAE and/or FATE Core
10. Play Star Wars: Edge of the Empire
11. Illustrate a scene from one of the Dungeon World/Planet games I play/run
12. Have my PC become chief of the Orc tribe and make a pact with a hobgoblin
1-2. No and no, I haven't ran or played a DW game where any PC has reached Level 10. I still play DW, though, and I'd love to see that happen!

3. No, Inverse World and Pirate World still haven't happened. I almost ran/played IW, but almost doesn't count, heh.

4. Maybe (pending). For those of you who have been following Pirate World's development, it took a plunge for a little while, but the guys behind the Kickstarter are back on it, and Iain Chantler (James Hawthorne on G+) just announced yesterday that the text is all finished. I'm not sure if my submissions made it into the book or not, but either way, I'm still excited to read it and play it!

5. Yes, yes, and yes (sort of), hehe. I played a one-shot, Mouse Guard game who my friend, +Lloyd Gyan, ran at Jackercon IV (http://youtu.be/OFHWbmuVnv4). Lloyd also ran six sessions of Torchbearer (two APs can be found here), which I played in, though the game sadly fizzled out. We've been trying to get at least one more session in to finish up the adventure, but it hasn't happened yet. Finally, I said, "kind of," to Burning Wheel, because I got to play a scripted battle, though I haven't officially played the game through character creation or even a single session.

6. Yes! Lloyd ran a live, Lady Blackbird game via Hangouts one day when Torchbearer didn't happen. It was fantastic! I even started a Lady Blackbird PbP on GotEXP, but it fizzled out and hasn't seen activity since the beginning of the month.

7. No. I tried to get a game in the past, two weeks, but it didn't happen. +Riley Adamson, over on GotEXP, says he's interested in trying out a PbP version, so hopefully that'll happen in 2015.

8. No and no. :( I did get an awesome, Fiasco shirt though, and I still really want to play it and Durance.

9. Yes and no. I finally got to play FAE this past week! It was a one-shot, space noir run by, you guessed it, Lloyd, and it was awesome! I want to try Fate Core next. I should also add that earlier this year, I played a few sessions of Dresden Files with the old, Fate rules run by +James Savko, though it doesn't really count toward the resolution.

10. No, but Lloyd said he'll run a game for me in the future. All I have to do is make a character. I want to make that happen soon.

11. Yes (sort of). I haven't had time to illustrate full scenes, but I did illustrate some characters (including two space gnomes from the Dungeon Planet PbP I'm running who are standing next to a Dalek). You can check them all out here, [url]mishapolonsky.tumblr.com[/url].

12. Yes and yes. Huzzah! My Orc Fighter, Nok, did become Chief in a Number Appearing/Dungeon World PbP game on GotEXP, the Hobgoblin Barbarian PC did join Chief Nok's Inner Circle, so I certainly consider that a pact!



All in all, I accomplished 5/12 of my 2014 resolutions. That's not too shabby, considering that last year, I accomplished about 1/13 resolutions for 2013. Though, as an added bonus, GotEXP finally got its own dice roller this year which was part of the 2013 list.


Anyway, here is my list for 2015:

A Gamer's New Year Resolutions for 2015

1. Run and/or play a Storium game.
2. Run and/or play a Dungeon World game, where a PC reaches level 10.
3. Run Mouse Guard and/or Torchbearer.
4. Create a character for Burning Wheel and play at least one session.
5. Run another 12-13 episodes (game sessions) for the 2nd season of the Tears of a Machine game I ran this past summer (Tales of the Arx Jericho) and post APs for them here.
6. Create and release a supplement for Tears of a Machine.
7. Create and release an adventure module and/or supplement for Dungeon World and/or Adventures on Dungeon Planet.
8. Finish running the current session of the Dungeon Planet PbP I'm running on GotEXP (226: Story of the Year 3443).
9. Finish running the DW PbP adventure, Sagas of Mahr-En (as in see the PCs complete their quest of imprisoning the Bone Wand of Beshi or die trying).
10. Play at least one of the following games: Inverse World, Pirate World, Apocalypse World (via Hangouts or in person), Ryuutama, Numenera, Lords of Gossamer & Shadow, Scarlet Heroes, any World of Darkness with the updated, God Machine Chronicles rules (especially Demon: the Fallen), Urban Shadows, Monsterhearts, Star Wars: Edge of the Empire, WH40k Dark Heresy, Iron Kingdoms, Serpent’s Tooth, Fate Core, Fiasco, Durance, Lamentations of the Flame Princess, Savage Worlds, D&D 5e, Microscope (to completion), Apocalypse World: Dark Ages (at least a few sessions real-time or further exploration if PbP, since our play tests fizzled out), Wield, The Clay That Woke, and more.
11. Be more active on GotEXP, G+, and the RPG communities than I have been this year.
12. Avoid month-long hiatuses for GotEXP games and/or my blog.

Hopefully I can complete at least half of these goals or more!

What are your gaming New Years Resolutions for 2015?

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

AP (ToaM) - Tales of the Arx Jericho - Season 1, Episode 13: The Battle of Jericho, Part II

Previously

The CRC facility has only eight minutes left until self-destruction. Meanwhile, the Arx Jericho is still under lockdown, and the Mayzor have landed an assault on the Arx itself.


Dr. Johnson takes Rick, Serena, and Opsie to suit up in their Prophets, while Jason takes point on overwriting the self-destruct sequence. With his teammates supporting him, he's successful, and AK-47 leads them outside toward HQ, where Jason, Sarah, Strudel, Billy, and Joanne suit up to board their SAInts and defend the Arx against the enemy. 


While Rick, Serena, and Opsie free Kazuhiro, Laurie, and their other classmates from the cafeteria, Sarah leads the others to free Miguel and Raspberry from the dorms, Bala and Lieke from the simulation building, and Stephanie from the classrooms. 


All the while, the Prophet and SAInt pilots fight off a hoard of Locusts: including the usual Soldiers, Brawlers, and Archers, and two, new classes of aerial-based Locusts (Choppers which resemble dragonflies and Bombers which look like giant moths hovering in the sky).


After Rick, Serena, and Opsie secure the cafeteria, they proceed to Dr. Harris's office and take flight to take out one of the Bombers.


Suddenly, the MetaTron exhibits the same static the pilots experienced in New Alamo. Their fears that the Mayzor have hacked in are confirmed, when Commander Yamasuka's voice starts ordering SAInts to target Robbies and military vehicles. What happens next shocks the pilots even more, as Sarah witnesses Strudel draw his shotgun on Joanne, while she prepares to fire off her rocket launcher back at point blank range. 


"We can't control this! Help!" Joanne tries to communicate through the MetaTron, amidst the static.


It seems neither of the pilots can control their frenzying SAInts. 


"Joanne!" Rick calls out telepathically.


Sarah and Billy rush in to restrain her, while Strudel runs off toward HQ.


Meanwhile, Commander Yamasuka's real voice comes through the network, and she's telling the frenzying SAInts to ignore her previous orders and stand down.


They don't respond.


Finally, Dr. Johnson hails Rick on a private channel.




Tuesday, September 2nd 2031
18:10

"Rick, can you hear me?" Dr. Johnson asks over the MetaTron, despite the static.

"Yeah, I can hear you," Rick replies.

Dr. Johnson asks Rick for a status report on the MetaTron hacking, the frenzying SAInts, and Commander Yamasuka's false orders. He also says the CRC facility is surrounded by Locusts and needs an extraction to get to Operations.

Rick answers his questions truthfully and sends Serena and Opsie to go get him. Serena is hesitant, but Opsie quickly takes advantage of the situation to make herself look good and says, "Come on Serena, I've got a plan!"


Plethora of Problems

The Bombers hovering high above the Arx weapons turrets begin firing their high-powered, particle beams straight down. 

Commander Yamasuka coordinates with Commander McGarry of the military who agrees that they need to raise the Arx defensive shields to maximum power, even if that means taking the weapons, Operation's computers, and the MetaTron offline.

While Sarah and Billy continue to restrain Joanne, Rick asks AK-47 for a solution to deal with the hacked SAInts. AK-47 relays the Commanders' plan but is hesitant to shut the MetaTron offline, so Jason, Sarah, Billy, and Serena all chime in to convince her otherwise.

Meanwhile, a group of Choppers fly toward the engines to take them out, and warning sounds blare across the Arx.

Rick flies off after them and calls out to Joanne one last time before the MetaTron goes offline: "Joanne, if you can hear me, hang in there!"

Joanne replies with a sinister laugh, followed by, "Come join me for a Kendo match, Rick!"

All communication throughout the MetaTron halts abruptly, and the frenzied SAInts return to normal, but the Robbies and military continue to fire at them. 

Rick grows angry at Joanne's response, as he passes by. Sarah calls out to him directly through her SAInt's speakers and asks him to tell the military to stand down and focus on Locusts.

Sarah and Billy relinquish their hold on Joanne, and Sarah asks her if she's alright.

"Yeah, Sarah, let's kick the Mayzor's ass right now! I'm ready to fight! Let's get em!" Joanne replies over the speakers, and as she asks Sarah what the plan is, a great lightning bolt flashes down from the sky and lands atop a helipad at the center of the Arx.

Terrified faces look up to bear witness to one of the oldest and most powerful Magnas the world has ever known.

Asmodeus: This Magnas is the most feared and despised that has been faced by Preservation Forces. Asmodeus is the largest and most misshapen of its rank. It was one of the original robots launched in the first Mayzor assaults and has been on numerous deployments since then. Asmodeus stands over 280 feet tall and individual limbs have branched and braided together into two huge arms sprouting from the shoulders of a tapering trunk-like body. Clusters of wings lash like thorn tendrils over its bult. Its head is a pyramid of howling beastly faces crowned with a huge broken mask with a contented smile on its lips. The most horrifying feature of Asmodeus are the "corpses" of three SAInts impaled on its body, crucified victims of the Magnas. 
- Excerpt from Tears of a Machine, pp. 181

Aerials in the Sky

Jason starts moving toward the bow of the Arx and targets a Bomber above the fore, weapon turret at High Ballistics (HB) range with his EZK-L Particle Beam sniper. It explodes, as groups of Chopper reinforcements come buzzing out of the Wormwood in the central garden. Three of them head for the engines, three head toward Asmodeus, and the last two target the turret closest to Sarah and Jason.

Rick reaches the engines and faces a total of six Choppers at Firearms (FA) range. He fires his Levic Pistol at one of them, and it explodes on the side of the Arx. The remaining five continue to fire at the engines. 

With the Choppers at the front in FA range of the SAInt pilots, Jason fires off his Levic Pistol, while Sarah uses her RDav Combat Rifle, or "Giant Killer." The Chopper that Jason hits spirals off course and crashes into the side of the cafeteria building, while Sarah's mark explodes into pieces just before reaching the turret. 

On the other side of the Arx, a mixed group of aerial Locusts successfully destroy another weapon turret.

Rick continues to go after the Choppers attacking the engines, but he's inhibited by a flood of ghastly, wailing, young voices begging to be saved. It turns out Asmodeus has found a way to penetrate the SAInt, telepathic network by keeping the pilots of the crucified SAInts alive in torment. Fortunately, most of the SAInt pilots are unaffected due to the disabled MetaTron, but the Prophets' psychic, communication channels are still disrupted. Rick fails to hit the Choppers this time, and they take out the backup generators.

Sarah, Jason, Joanne, and Billy rush back toward the dorms. Before annihilating the rest of the Bombers and Choppers, they want to prevent any more reinforcements from surprising them by eliminating the Wormwood in the garden. Sarah targets it with her Tiamat Multiple Missile System, but the projectiles wipe out the entire garden along with the Wormwood in a great display of fireworks, just as a lightning bolt comes down to beam up whatever scorched remains are left of the spherical capsule.

Most of the SAInt pilots are in awe. Allen is too, as he drops the Twins off at HQ. Inside the hangar, Kazuhiro and Laurie are gearing up for deployment, and back at the dorms, Jason reloads his rifle while running toward the remaining, aerial Locusts to take them down.

By now, Opsie and Serena have brought Dr. Johnson to HQ, and they regroup with Rick. He changes distance to get into Close Quarters (CQ) range of the Choppers and takes out two simultaneously with his dual 'Arc Swords.

Jason snipes down one of the last, two, remaining Bombers with Joanne's help, while Sarah and Billy take out the other one.

After the Bombers are destroyed, the SAInts near HQ inform Operations, and within minutes, the defensive shields go back down and the surviving, weapon turrets are online and operational.

Finally, with Serena and Opsie's help, Rick activates his Prophet's supreme, Vanquish protocol which taps into the Mayzor, telepathic network to seize control of the self-repair, nano-machine systems of the remaining Choppers in order to dismantle them via telepathic command. The last, three Choppers suddenly unravel, and millions of pieces plummet toward the earth.

Now that the engines are safe, the Prophets return to HQ to meet up with the SAInts so that they can take out the remaining Locusts and focus their efforts on Asmodeus.


Last of the Locusts

While the pilots of Alpha and Bravo Company get into their positions, and Jason mans the turret he's been dying to get his SAInt's hands onto, they all take cover from Asmodeus's deadly lasers, while Blue Company wipes out the last, remaining Locusts threatening HQ.

Serena helps Rick engage the two, closest Brawlers at CQ range, and he swoops down to impale them both with his swords.

Next, Laurie helps Rick engage two Soldiers at CQ, and he slices their tails off before destroying them.

Finally, Rick targets the last, remaining Archer with his pistol, but the cries emanating from Asmodeus's crucified SAInts startles him again, but he's able to defeat the Archer with Opsie's help. She, of course, takes credit for the kill and proceeds to showboat, but at least HQ is saved.

As the Robbies and military attack the last Locusts outside the CRC facility, the Prophets and SAInts face off against one, last, enormous threat.


All Hope Seems Lost

"Make a hole!" Rick cries out, as he engages Asmodeus at CQ range with Jason, Sarah, and Billy helping him out. Unfortunately, the Magnas is much too powerful, and even though Rick ends up where he wants, Asmodeus's lasers tear through his SAInt, and he loses Resolve on top of that. Sarah, Jason, and Billy are all injured as well, though Sarah's SAM-L Shield prevents some of her damage.

Jason fires at Asmodeus from his turret but misses. Sarah, Strudel, Joanne, and Billy miss as well, and they all take another round of damage, as lasers shoot through their porcelain bodies and expose their inner structure.

Rick attempts to attack Asmodeus with his double, 'Arc Swords, but even with help from Serena, Opsie, and Laurie, he's unable to land a decent hit. Asmodeus retaliates, and Rick is practically crushed to the ground, as he loses more Resolve.

The pilots scramble to catch their bearings and figure out how they'll take Asmodeus down. 

Will they fail? Will they die? If they do, will they take the Magnas down with them?

All hope seems lost for the people of the Arx Jericho, but the pilots can't give up. 

They won't give up.


Altogether Now

"Alright guys, follow this in!" Sarah yells through her speakers, as she takes point and fires off her last set of Tiamat missiles in an all-out, coordinated attack against Asmodeus which finally connects.

Jason blasts it with his big ass, turret gun.

Rick flies around it, slashing its limbs and clipping its wings off with his swords. 

Joanne screams, "DIE!" as she fires her rocket launcher.

All the other SAInts and Prophets join in the fight and go all out with their respective weapons. 

The three SAInts crucified to the Magnas explode. Its wings crumble to dust. Its trunk-like legs and huge, braided arms collapse and tear apart. Its head flies into the air with a contented smile still plastered over its lips, and its body crushes the scorched remains of the garden, as the head and self-destructing core explode simultaneously, and the citizens of the Arx Jericho witness the greatest blast they have ever seen.


Image used without permission.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/q5tqg3t

The air grows silent in the aftermath of the explosion, and the sight of the damaged Arx is quite surreal.

After the pilots return to HQ, the Operation's computers and MetaTron network go online again and a debriefing ensues. The pilots responsible in taking down Asmodeus are awarded special medals, and the pilots of Blue Company and Alpha Company go on to receive higher accolades and become worldwide celebrities in the following months. 

The Arx Jericho instantly begins repairing itself, and the Preservation Forces are already discussing future plans with the CRC. The SAInts have preserved humanity once again, but an important lesson has been learned. The people of Earth can not wait around any longer in shelter or hiding, while the Mayzor continue to attack indefinitely. 

It's high time for Earth to fight back and go after the Mayzor mother ship, Tartarus.

It's time to unleash Operation: Blue Moon.


Image used without permission. Source unknown.
I take absolutely no credit for this image.

End of Episode 13

End of Season 1


Director Commentary


Phew! Holy moly, what a season! 

First off, I apologize that I'm posting this AP incredibly late, but four months is still better than no AP at all! 

Two, quick notes. First, Blue Company is a term I came up with months after running Episode 13 to describe the special ops company of Prophets which include Rick, Serena, and Opsie. Second, I quoted an except from the Tears of a Machine book and paraphrased several other lines regarding equipment and Asmodeus's cries. All credit for those names and explanations belongs to Russell Collins, author of the book and creator of the game.

As always, here's the actual, YouTube recording of the Hangouts on Air.

NOTE: I now keep all of the APs on my channel unlisted due to my animation/portfolio work that's on there (I still like keeping everything in one channel), so if you cannot view the video, please let me know, and I'll fix it!


When we finished this game back in August, I asked the players if they wanted a second season in the near future, and the unanimous decision was a definite yes. However, we felt we needed a break, so I suggested trying to start the game up again after the New Year.

Well, it's been almost five months now, and earlier this month, I brought up the idea of running Season 2. Not only was everyone still on board from the original cast, but two more players have decided to join the party!

Tales of the Arx Jericho, Season 2, Episode 01 kicks off in a little less than two weeks. Our first game is scheduled for Sunday, January 4th 2015, while in-game, it'll also be a new year (Sunday, January 4th 2032). Go ahead and look up the date! Pretty cool, right?

Here's the link for the G+ Hangouts on Air event for the game, in case you're interested in checking it out.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/c498vnt8nicb8ea0929dodl5850?authkey=CN3Hh8LywfDxKQ

+Robert Ruthven+Wolfie Fang, and +David Andrews will reprise their roles as Rick Hunter, Sarah Werner, and Jason Reyes respectively.   

We also have +Lloyd Gyan joining us with Esteban "Spearhead" Knowles of Alpha Company and +Russell Collins (creator of Tears of a Machine) joining us with Martin "Skitz" Oiseleur of Alpha Company as well.

It looks like we're shooting for weekly, Sunday games, so if you've been following the story so far, you certainly don't want to miss what's in store for Season 2!



Season 2 Teaser

Four months have passed since the Battle of Jericho, and far too much has happened in so little time.

Not only has the Arx Jericho nearly completed its repairs, it's made incredible advancements to its design and infrastructure, enabling it to take flight into space and become the first Arx to exist outside of Earth. 

The Preservation Forces and the CRC have outfitted all the SAInts and their equipment to operate in zero G and low gravity environments.

All citizens aboard the Arx Jericho have received rigorous training to survive and function properly whilst orbiting in space, and the SAInt pilots have received even more, specialized training to undergo a set of missions prepared for them under the classified codename, Operation: Blue Moon.

The SAInt Program has expanded to include five, full companies (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, and Echo), as well as a special ops team called Blue Company which is now comprised of four, Prophet pilots including: Rick, Serena, Opsie, and Sarah.  

Their first destination is to the moon in order to secure a base of operations before targeting Tartarus and leading humanity's first, and hopefully only, counter attack against the Mayzor.

Meanwhile, many of the pilots' lives have changed dramatically in the past, four months. Opsie, Serena, Rick, Sarah, Jason, Strudel, and Joanne are the most famous, SAInt pilots on Earth. Some of their relationships have changed, while others haven't. Billy retired from the SAInt Program just three weeks short of his 18th birthday and has joined the Preservation Forces under Dr. Johnson's wing. He's being groomed as the new, Junior Head of Security. 

With all these changes, many questions still remain:

• Will Operation: Blue Moon be successful?
• How vulnerable will the Arx Jericho be orbiting in space?
• Will the Mayzor continue to attack Earth despite the oncoming, counter attack?
• Is Rafe Hunter actually a Mayzor General, and what does that mean?
• Are there other, Mayzor agents still on Earth, disguised as humans?
• Is Dr. Johnson actually friend or foe?
• Will Rick and Serena Hunter ever see their captured mother? Will Jason Reyes see his?
• Will the new companies get along with the old ones?
• Will the rearranged companies be able to thrive and work together as a team?
• What new Mayzor and dangers await our heroes?

Tune in, as we play to find out!

PER SCIENTAM VICTORIA
- Through Knowledge, Victory

And as always,

May the SAInts preserve us.