Futuristic NCQuest: Mecha flavored action, Characters

Windsock · Feb 26, 2020

This is the characters thread for NCQuest; and this post in particular is the introductory post, filled with sheet templates for posterity, which have recently been updated to a new format. Formatting particulars such as code are highly encouraged for a uniformity of sheets and ease-of-reading, but are not entirely necessary.

Players are allowed to have 1 main 'Linker' character and several secondary characters attached in someway to the first.

Full Name: John Jane 'Pilot, Badass, Dumbass' Doe; true name and nicknames.

Age: The range for newer pilots is generally 19 to early 30's. MAVERICK basic orientation takes 1-2 years.

History: Pilots' backgrounds can be quite diverse; are they from a Burrow, or the surface? Did they live on little means or were they born well-off? How did they get noticed by MAVERICK? Do they have a history in a military force? Were they purely civilian until they took the plunge? Do they come from a family with a history of having the Trait, and they were only the first to utilize it?

Long and reminiscent of a novel, or short and concise; as long as the point gets across, and I understand where they're coming from I don't mind.

Personality: What is this person like? Don't use easy language like "Happy until sad" or "friendly until pissed off", get into the nitty-gritty of their character. What are some habits they have? Are they an extroverted type who never shuts up, or an observant, private individual who broods a lot? Do they have strong political opinions? Are they obsessed with money? Do they have a strong sense of justice they can't ignore? Are they an emotionless husk? Are they manipulative? Are they friendly, easy-going? Do they always endeavor to do the right thing, even if they have to do bad things right now?

This doesn't have to be a massive wall of text explaining every facet of their personality; as long as it conveys the most important parts of who they are, it is acceptable.

Personal Skills: What can they do on their own, as a regular person? Did they win youth sharpshooter competitions as a kid? Are they a fantastic cook, able to cheer someone's day with awesome comfort food? Do they know the right thing to say to cheer someone up? Do they know how to enrage someone? Can they smell fear, read the tide of battle? Are they good with numbers?

Not everything has to come up all the time! Miscellaneous skills can help round out a character and inspire you on the rest of this sheet.

Linker Skills: What skills do they have as a Linker; in their Neural Combatant? Are they a crack-shot with heavy artillery, or can they manage massive electronic warfare suites? Can they maneuver their NC's fingers like a surgeon nonetheless, able to pick apart enemy units for shiny gubbins and bits? Are they a prodigy at maneuvering around three dimensionally? Are they resistant to taking Linker-Feedback pain? Do they adapt to NC overhauls quickly, letting them tweak their NC to specific operations?

Some of these are obviously related to their own personal skills; so just keep that in mind; you don't have to go into details on the same skills they have twice, just how it expresses itself in an NC piloting context.

Appearance: Finally, how do they look, sound, or even smell like? Are they a well-groomed individual that always looks at home in an expensive restaurant? Are they the type to laze around eating junk food, kind of overweight and a bit messy? Are they obsessed about their muscles, maintaining a physique befitting an ancient god of fitness? Do they dress fashionably, or tacky? Do they keep their hair up? Are they short, or tall? Do they have a strange smell following them around, like motor oil?

Misc: Anything else you can think of!

Notice: non-linker character sheets are effectively the same, with the 'Linker Skills' section removed for obvious reasons.

Production/ID Number: The most commonly used ID tag is 'XXXX, XXXX-X', or; who it was developed by, at what year, and which specimen is it from that production run? (E.G: GR [General Requisitions] 2471-1)

Name: The NC's current service-name, as chosen by its pilot.

Emblem/Heraldry:
A stamped emblem of some kind is almost always present on an NC as an identification marker. Other strongly distinct markings are also fairly common, such as highly visible nameplates or unit numbers.

Historical Record:A record of the NC, such as its construction history, major overhauls, and notable achievements up to this point.

Construction:The general construction of the NC; its basic-most values, such as general gait, weight, and structural strength. How is the unit physically built, to what proportions, and following what sort of body-plan, and how does this unit ultimately act without considering other factors?

Describing the basic-most frame and related factors of the unit. The raw construction where all other factors are ultimately drawn from; the base physicality of the unit, including durability, 'standard' maneuverability and ultimate potential weight capacity.

Minimum details are strength potential, durability records, dexterity, basic ('walking' or 'running') speeds, rough weight-class, detectability, body-type and size. No highly specific numbers are explicitly needed, but a strong idea is mandatory.

Capabilities:The advanced particulars of the NC in question. The power-output, the sensors, the targeting systems. The compatibility with certain weapons such as recoil stabilization, missile guidance, or onboard capacitor potential. The advanced maneuvers available; how it flies through the air, or hovers above the ground or quickly skates about.

Describing the advanced features of the unit, the unique upsides particular to its own hardware.

Minimum details are thrust/flight/hovering/skating potential, targeting potential, weapon compatibility potential, general power output, sensor potential.
No highly specific numbers are explicitly needed, but a strong idea is mandatory.

Limitations:The weak-points of the unit; the notable debilitating factors contrasting against its good points.

The unique limitations of the NC.

Explicit weak-points of the NC itself, such as literal weak points, bad statistics, chronic maintenance issues, etc.

Aesthetics:How does the NC look? Client's aesthetic requests are often considered during the design phase, with form and function finding good balance in almost every NC shoppe. Of course, everything is ultimately filtered through the mind of someone else than the intended pilot, but the outer casing and fuselage of an NC is still highly variable.

Describe where everything is situated, physically, and how it ultimately looks.

Minimum details are the location of every major part such as the Linker cockpit, reactor,, battery banks, sensor modules, computers, major synapse nodes, thrust outputs, radiators, etc.

Innate Equipment:Equipment bolted directly to the NC; integral equipment not easily interchangeable.

Equipment entries should be fairly detailed; in some cases, spoilered 'equipment sheets' may be prudent to chop down on overall NC sheet length and offer more details on the particular piece of equipment.

Equipment Hardpoints: The mounting spaces for exchangeable weaponry or systems of the NC; payload-hardpoints that the unit is built with. And then, how the NC fills them up.

As above; with an additional caveat that a list of all equipment available to the NC is necessary.

Additional: Miscellania bits and pieces of the NC, various gubbins not easily factored into the other categories.

Windsock · Feb 26, 2020

First GM Character Space: MAVERICK Personnel'MAVERICK' is a world-wide organization controlling NC pilots, Linkers, with a mission statement concerning overall world stability, managing all Neural Combatants on the planet. The Guild is made out of three parts; associated Linkers, various specialist personnel 'handling' them and their machines, all overseen by a democratic council of Directors.

MAVERICK DirectorsThe Council of Directors is the ruling body of MAVERICK, selecting more of their own through a democratic process twice a decade. They are headed by the Director of Resources.

The overall head of MAVERICK for the last three decades: a mysterious figure who rules the Guild from the shadows. Their biographical details are an unknown in the public sphere. He values his privacy greatly, and this is respected as one of his few eccentricities due to high approval ratings from his fellow Directors.

As Director Of Resources, his day-to-day job is hectic. He is personally in charge of managing MAVERICK's rating system and providing summaries or reports on notable Linkers regularly. Another of his duties is managing the allowances for all Linkers, such as where they're permitted to live and base their own operations. Occasionally he runs NC operation tests on his own.

All other information on Xavier Crowley is classified at the highest level permitted by MAVERICK.

MAVERICK HandlersHandlers are the support personnel attached to Linkers, who act as both secretary and mission-information assistant. Handlers notify Linkers of available contracts, their obligations to them, and act as a general liaison between the greater organization, the Linker in question, and whoever else may be involved, such as specific clients.

Full Name: Oswald 'Munchies' Freilan

Age: 30's?

History:Born to a surface-borne family of farmers, Oswald grew strong by working the fields and tending to animals, but as many young men do he desired much, much more, with an agression deep inside his being. He left his old life after becoming of age and wandered the lands as a roving handyman that got into far too many bar fights, before eventually having his brute strength and simple-minded brutality noticed by a boxing organization. Where he showed off until a career-ending injury necessitated he put that life behind him too. Another opportune moment with an anonymous Linker in the wards while he recovered inspired him to keep living and to do something more with his life.

Joining up with MAVERICK to look for this man, he hasn't found him yet. Until he does, he's found that he likes what he's doing and wishes to do some good where he can.

Personality:Not as conventionally smart as most Handlers, Oswald still has a practical mindset about him and a wise head on his shoulders. Strong-willed and roughly-hewn, his history gives him a unique view on human nature. Big and fun, Oswald has a decent sense of humor and can talk for hours on end about nothing in particular, and likes hearing himself talk on top of that. Friendly with a can-do attitude, he's a man that likes to get things done; and isn't intimidated by anything.

Personal Skills:Not quite a genius, but Oswald has been 'around the block' a few times and knows his way around social situations. The opposite of abrasive, his main problem is extending a conversation past the point of the intended use. Tough, he can beat the hell out of most anyone in a one-on-one fight, even if he isn't as fit as he used to be. At his best, he was able to crush punks with nothing but the four bludgeons on his arms and legs. His unique view of people offers a surprising amount of understanding of people, and he can generally predict what someone is really thinking with good accuracy; in the context of a fight or just a standard conversation.

Appearance:Looking about as large as he acts, Oswald is a big boy who obviously used to be a hell of a muscle-man, but has recently let himself go some and isn't quite what he used to be, best described as 'dented iron'. Having a basic, work-borne understanding of fashion, he's generally seen in dirtied working clothes or a very simple casual style, not paying too much attention to these things and just throwing things on himself. He speaks with a southern tinge and his upbringing, combined with his life story, makes for a strange dialect somewhere between a pit-fighter and cowboy.

Misc: N/A

Full Name: Lennard Malthus

Age: 36

History: Starting out his adulthood as a mathematician, Malthus came to be involved with Paragon Paramilitary's combat analytics service as a military statistics analyst. He helped to design new equipment, strategies, and tactics by reviewing combat records and after-battle reports. Additionally, he assisted in allotting budgets of men, material, and money to operations for overall cost-efficiency. A long service was ended by a certain incident necessitating his removal from their service, and a sympathetic co-worker recommended him to MAVERICK, citing his overall experience as a boon to the organization.

Personality: Smug and vicious, Malthus is an arrogant individual with an awful mean streak to match. Unpopular, he maintains a level of respect for his honest experience and good work-ethic, oftentimes finding things to do on his own. Still, he's often described as 'creepy' in person, with a strange fascination with death and anguish. It doesn't help he mumbles during live combat; allegedly counting the death-toll of every operation.
A noted tendency is to get easily flustered when provided with uncompromising kindness or submission to his abrasive antics; not knowing how to be pleasant in kind.

Personal Skills: An all-around genius when it comes to physics and general number-crunching, he still needs a pen and paper 'or something' to calculate anything severely complicated. Still, he works incredibly fast in everything he does and often notices esoteric patterns that other people don't. He has an internal library of combat equipment, able to recognize almost any piece of kit in use by a standard military; and if he can't explicitly name something, still able to accurately deduce its capabilities by well-educated guesses. Works beautifully under pressure, and can be expected to provide at least decent advice; most finding it hard to distinguish his mocking suggestions, or if he's actually offering sound if unconventional tactics.

Appearance: A skeletal six-foot-just, Lennard is as thin as a stick and as gaunt as the resident of an old grave. He often has his short blonde hair in a scraggly mess, littered with specks of dandruff. He has a reserved, pronunciation accent tracing its lineage back to the British isles somewhere. Related to his skillset, his clothes, generally of a 'cheap' lay-about style, are oftentimes scribbled with mathematical formulas he can't be bothered to scrub off. Furthermore, he has a constant, mild odor of medicine and what's quite likely alcohol on his person.

Misc: Incredibly obsessed with card games in private, having a notable collection of rare cards for a particular game, including his prized possession; a one-of-a-kind 'platinum' edition 'Greedy Pot'.

Full Name: Sarah Alexandria Nielsen

Age: 25

History: Sarah was born in Ruling Company territory; the sole sovereign territory of General Requisitions, Los-Angeles Burrow. Living exclusively in an underground technoscape for the first two decades of her life, she was noted from an early age for her general brightness and was generally fast-tracked through her education, skipping one grade. She graduated with honour from Los-Angeles Burrow's Technical University with a major in telecommunications technology. She served in the civilian sector for a few short years, before eventually joining MAVERICK as a Handler as recently as a year ago.

Personality: An intelligent, but ascetically simple woman; Sarah is a reserved, exemplary sample of an informational assistant; bluntly offering data and finding hard, monotonous work to her liking. Not quite creative, she is nonetheless inventive and hard-working, doing her best to find a simple, efficient solution to any problem with anything at hand, even if she can't pull something 'out of her ass'. She prefers a sterile, safe atmosphere reminiscent of her home and does her best to simmer down any situation she finds herself in. The type to actually read the terms and conditions.

Personal Skills: Sarah is generally bright in her skill set, a wide range involving communications and electronics. Tinging this, she has an equal understanding of general paperwork and bureaucracy: able to chew through documentation and negotiate through corporate details easy. She has a strong grasp in puzzling through a situation where every piece of the puzzle is available; but finds it difficult to work in a situation where she doesn't understand all the factors in play. To counteract this, she has a voracious appetite for practical information and can easily digest new data, even if she isn't good at extrapolating from it.

Appearance: Sarah is just under five-foot-five and is built fairly slight; and maintains a near-stereotypical 'girl Friday' look. She dresses very conservatively with generalized feminine office clothes, buttoned all the way up alongside a long skirt and leggings. The only thing she foregoes from the most generic outfit ever are high-heels, preferring more standard sneakers or boots. Her black hair is constantly tied up in either a tail or small bun. She speaks with a steady, educated and reserved manner; no discernible accent and with excellent general pronunciation.

Misc: Terrified of ghosts, preferring the slasher kind of horror movies.

MAVERICK Linkers
Linkers are the actual working members of the organization, those who pilot Neural Combatants and take on operational contracts with a rare level of self-determination and general freedom, similar to freelancer mercenaries, which they effectively are. MAVERICK divides them into five general 'Ratings', based on a rough level of skill. First-Rate is the highest, with Fifth-Rate as the lowest.

'First-Rate' pilots are the best of the best, the most elite Linkers available who are emblematic of NC's being one-man armies. Due to the significant, over-bearing power First-Rates represent, and the rarity of that kind of individual, there have been periods without any First-Rate pilots.

'Second-Rate' pilots are well-regarded veterans who can be expected to triumph over almost any opponent. Second-Rates are notable influencers, and can have a significant pull within MAVERICK itself. Second-Rates are the 'common' elites; a crushingly difficult, if humanly attainable classification.

Full Name: 'Corbin', true name unknown.
Age: Estimated 20's.

History: Another Linker with a mysterious, private past, though presumed to have come from a rich, dignified background. Believed to have been active as a Linker while young, possibly even as a child or teenager. Data is unclear and often locked away, but it's commonly believed they have some type of special relationship with one or more of the Directors; allowing their unique situation. It's also usually presumed they were either a 'designer baby', or have been otherwise gene-modded for most of their life.

Personality: Corbin is particularly petulant and flippant, acting not quite his age and quite arrogant. Told all his life he was destined for greater things, he fully believes he's more important than the vast majority of other people and puts little value in anyone who isn't directly beneficial or is just plain boring to him. Constantly seeking mental stimulation, he loves getting into trouble and can at least be said to have a great work ethic. The type to know the entirety of the rulebook, but disregard it when it doesn't suit him. He particularly hates people close to his skill level or just his age, and doesn't respect anyone stronger than him.

Personal Skills: A general genius, Corbin is admittedly quick-witted and intelligent, just being 'faster' than most, and having a surprising amount of dexterity, both physically and mentally. Additionally well-educated, he often implies he's actually published a high-level dissertation or several, but doesn't elaborate on this for his own privacy. Besides his general physical fitness and mental acuity, he has a good understanding of several martial arts and has great precision with his hands.

Linker Skills: Befitting his normal abilities, as a Linker, Corbin is incredible across-the-board and is well on his way to 'First-Rate' skill levels, which most agree he already is, just not officially. Focused on a combination of speed and strength, Corbin is all-around excellent with no explicit weaknesses, besides a lack of care and far too much pride. Particularly great at thinking outside the box and adapting to the situation.

Appearance: Slightly short, Corbin is both conventionally handsome with distinctively sharp features but also nearly inhuman, having a 'beautiful, if not quite right' look; skin just a little too perfect, eyes a downright unnatural shade of gray-black, and starkly black hair that doesn't seem to ever grow beyond an easily managed ear-length. Notable canines further this appearance, and he often gets called a vampire due to the combination of his paler skin.

An obvious preference for 'vintage' or downright 'hipster' outfitting is blatant in his civilian life; with oversized plaid working jackets being a notable adoration. His piloting get-up is no different, being a custom thermo-regulatory suit fitted to his short stature, a stark brown with various miscelannia in a dull orange, such as his combat harness.

Misc: Obviously genetically modified at least to some extant, but no one is quite sure to what specific degree, besides a baseline of 'highly'. He has a habit of 'rookie-crushing'.

Full Name: 'Teacher' Yoko, unknown if first or last name.

Age: N/A, believed to be later 30's to early 40's.

History: Yoko is a mysterious character, who has been active as a Linker for quite some time, at least seventeen years. She has been noted for an exemplary service record, and has maintained it for the breadth of her career. Finding herself in the Second-Rate category of pilots for the longest, she has been busy with mentoring younger students who meet some unknown criteria of hers, having a minimum of four students who have gone under her personal tutelage.

Personality: Yoko is a quiet, wise woman who rarely speaks but is well respected for her experience and knowledge. Kind and nearly pacifistic, she's a moral paragon of the organization and often tries to spread her ideals. With a high degree of patience, she's still no push-over; and has killed those she deemed 'In blatant violation of general human decency' in the past. Otherwise, her easy-going, supportive nature is easy to get along with, if perhaps patronizing on occasion. She has an obvious admiration for general craftsmanship and long-time projects, such as the tradition she has named her NC after; the act of folding a thousand paper cranes to be granted a wish in return.

Personal Skills: Not much is known about Yoko's personal life or her own personal skills, but her slight history of giving individual gifts to fellow Linkers she respects greatly implies a general handyness; well-done crafts and fine art apparently hand-made by the woman herself. An artistic merit is obvious in the high quality of all of her work.

Linker Skills: Yoko is an excellent all-around combatant in her NC, the Senbazuru; and her long history of using the least amount of force to get the job done has made her greatest skill her accuracy, by far. Oftentimes said to be able to clip the wings off of a fly with flak shells, she still prefers a variety of energy weapons to get the perfect amount of force to disable targets, power settings being far easier to instantenously adapt than what shells are being loaded. Her skill at managing her NC's power output and supply, balancing it with her combat performance, is second-to-none; a universally beneficial skill to any Linker which has served her exceptionally well. This is the first thing she teaches students; 'To master yourself, is half of your job complete', and she evidently learned this a long time ago.

Appearance: Due to Yoko's private nature, no explicit photos or videos with her exist, so her exact appearance is unknown. The only explicit detail on her public MAVERICK file is that she's five-foot-seven. Judging from her NC, she prefers the color blue, and this may factor into her clothing. Speech wise, she has a very slight Asiatic accent, faded with time; and speaks softly, like a self-assured lady of steel.

Misc: Receiving a gift from Yoko is seen as a good-luck charm. Additionally, it's believed she is ultimately considered to be a First-Rate pilot, but focuses on teaching her students instead of elevating her career. Some consider her to be in effective retirement, and thus not seeking the greater amount of work necessary to be an official First-Rate.

Full Name: Rosa Slyidina

Age: 30's?

History:A private woman, Rosa has a mysterious early life but was confirmed to be active as a Linker at the end of the 2450's and must've been inducted at an early age. First noteworthy for only a rocky start to her career, she fought hard through early battles with a broken NC, her first operation smashing her initial hopes due to unfortunate circumstances. A struggler, she's went on quite a few adventures of her own to become what she is now and has had no loyalties up to this point to any ideology or creed, motivated by a self-interest borne from an intense survival attitude.

With a history of doing 'dirty' jobs and generally being underhanded, she made many enemies, particularly of other Linkers; a few noteworthy rivals in her career, plenty of whom she's disposed of. Recently, due to her still-growing skill, she's been promoted to Second Rate and many believe she has what it takes to go even further.

Personality:Sly yet crude, Rosa is also quite smug. An interesting combination of under-handedness and brutishness is tuned by a code of ethics she's come to ascribe to in recent years. Not quite a bully, she can still be considered overbearing in a social situation and can be exhausting to be around due to her mental quirks. Lately, however, she's been trying to tone herself down even further, and has been considering greater concepts; such as the state of the world and understanding her own place in it.

Personal Skills:Rosa is a self-described, but rightful expert at breaking shit; even if she's only now doing it intentionally. Her ability to rip things out has been tempered by martial arts training, itself tempered by hard knocks. Cunning, if crude, she's quick to think of simple, dirty solutions to big problems and has the instantaneous will to go through with a stupid, if effective idea immediately and whole-heartedly. When she actually bothers to fully plan something out, she can consider a great deal of information and map an actual course of action; but this takes too much time.

Linker Skills:Rosa is a decent example of a 'brainy' pilot, if still leaning on 'muscle' like levels of skill and reaction speed. A fine balance between raw intensity and the ability to adapt to specific situations quickly, she has good abilities across the board ranging from general accuracy to fine maneuvering, particularly great areas of expertise being power management and energy weapon usage. She has a unique Linker implant, a special model that adds a smaller secondary port to the basic neck-port, further below at the base of the neck, optimized for regulatory functions.

Appearance:Not particularly note-worthy appearance wise besides being slighty tall and having a minor amount of weight on her bones (between some pronounced muscles and the other kind), she forces herself to stand out anyway by way of vibrant, extravagant colors on her clothes and the occasional strange hair-dyes. Leaning to greens, purples, and reds in her outfitting, she's seen with a piece of her piloting gear on her at all times, a lime-green thermo-regulatory suit she uses as a constant undersuit. She often keeps her hair neck-length at most, and is a natural brunette.

Third-Rate pilots are the just-above-average, where most Linkers ultimately end up at the twilight of their careers; a wall that often appears insurmountable.

Fourth-Rate pilots are in the sweet-spot between completely expendable and worthwhile to throw at an enemy; the completely average rookie who only just has a few missions under their belt.

Fifth-Rate pilots are the greenhorns, straight out of minimal training. Pilots either die or move on, quickly at that.

Malphaestus · Feb 26, 2020

FREDRICH-ALEXANDER "EMPEROR" VON STREUBEN
To some's surprise, he also responds to "Tower-Upright."

Full Name: Fredrich-Alexander "Emperor," "Tower-Upright," Von Streuben.

Age: 28 years of age.

History: Fredrich-Alexander, henceforth referred to as Emperor, was brought up in the locally known nuclear cradle of middle-europa, a radioactive wasteland with sparse settlements and unstable footing; a place where the continental plates shattered, and formed a variety of rifts through both ground and mountains. One could seldom expect civilization to take root in such a place, however, in the case of Novoburg, such pre-conceptions need not apply. Whilst the average lifespan is indeed horrendous, and the medicine and supplies necessary to sustain the settlement are astronomical, it did not stop his freedom-loving ancestors from undertaking the most arduous of voyages to ensure autonomy. And with their hardened and uniquely evolved, or perhaps mutated, genetics allow for increased radioactive tolerance.

Emperor did not share their sentiments however, for whilst one can boast about their independence, that independence is worth naught if the people within the nation's miniscule boundries suffer disproportionately. His medicine-family, habitants of the Streuben District, were made privy to the endless woes of its citizens and the impossibility of their task, miracles were the sole explanation for their survival, and one day those blessings would inevitably run dry. And under that logic, at the age of 12, the staunchly independent Emperor set his sights upon the world beyond, and journeyed. Avoiding what needed to be avoided, and escaping whatever trouble that would inevitably arise, until he happened upon one of the Ruling Nations' territories at the age of 17.

Without paper or record, he had no real way to live beyond the streets, and exhausted from his trekking, he chose to live the life of the homeless, forging what needed forging, and connecting with those who would protect him. Though, whilst he did survive, by 19 his decisions came to either bite him in the foot, or prove the turning point he needed to become someone. With one connection connected to another, connected to twelve others, who eventually connect to the military sector, he found himself drafted for an escalating conflict that never came to pass between the ruling powers. A common issue now, he realizes in retrospect, to acquire more minds and brawn for the armed forces, but his life would be shaped by the event nevertheless.

Forcefully enlisted into the New European Armed Forces, Emperor performed his part, if for no other reason than to gain extra rations and restore his starved body and tired mind. He made routines of routines, and eventually strode to the top of his admittedly green regiment with flying colours. Granted with the officer's honors, he was admitted into the officer corps where he would serve for as many years as it took for him to eventually be selected for MAVERICK's recruitment program. Having functionally 'switched-off' his brain, should you ask him about his time in the New Europa military, not a single word would cross the Emperor's mind as he would attempt to recall it.

To his mind, he is the most misplaced man on earth, but takes delight of his present circumstance, because the only fond memories he ever had were those of bar-hopping during homelessness, hearing about the stories of 'Iron Knights' and 'Metal Kings' gliding across the wastes, and whatever else they may pass, dominating. A dream was born then, that if the kings of this new world are those warriors of steel, then he shall be an Emperor to dominate kings.

Thus the Emperor was truly born.

Personality: Beyond the cockpit, Emperor is a hardy individual, capable of dealing with most issues with indifference; attributed to his unconventional background and journeying past. His unwillingness to voice his disagreements and personal values, instead standing submissive to authority, was a trait which went well with most of his superiors and elders both at home and in New Europa's military structure. A heavy thinker who does little with the thoughts he produces, instead instinctually following the ebb and flow. But within there was always a budding persona, an entity which demanded more, and more, from him. It would manifest subtly, at first, through unconventional decision-making and bouts of absolutism and domineering, but would come to grace the world with its presence more and more ever since Emperor entered into MAVERICK's recruitment program.

The Emperor's eccentric character is often never put upon full display unless he finds himself entombed within his NC's iron throne, where two personalities collide, and another takes full presence. That of the Emperor thusly presents itself, perhaps first through roleplay and manifest dreaming, but something simply clicks within Emperor's mind and he truly takes on the privilege and demeanour of the absolute monarch when on the battlefield, to the dismay of many of his colleagues and fellow pilots. An arrogance overtakes him to the degree where it seems malleable to the eye, and controls even the most minor of aspects of his piloting. To the Emperor no other opinion but his own is correct, and no other speech but his own is worth its due.

Personal Skills: With a past such as his own, it would be no surprise that, having survived until now, he was granted some benefits pertaining to the basics of actually surviving in the strange world beyond the civilized burrows and the moderately orderly cities of the major global powers. Scavenging and foraging was once a core aspect of his lifestyle, which he managed to become quite adept at, earning an almost supernatural ability to 'magically' find the bare basics in whatever crevace he had once found himself in. Though now a distant past, the instinct remains, much like his military training.

Capable of all the necessities of foot-borne soldiering, he is a capable enough shooter, once specializing in the assault rifle-variety of arms. New Europa's officer corps specialized, additionally, in a form of ceremonious, yet combat-tested, bayonet martial arts without any definitive name. One of which Streuben can sometimes manifest both in reality and in his NC during the most primal of combat engagements. Though whilst it may be a detriment to some, he is a very instinctual individual, most of his skills and reactions driven only by a 'base need' for them to happen as opposed to some well thought out plan. The benefits this may produce lie in the rapditiy of his actions, not needing forethought or much planning, simply knowing what needs to be done.

Whilst this can be a benefit certainly, it also has a major detracting flaw, namely the dehumanization of his actions. Often making him difficult to figure out, which is good against his foes, but does lend him to ironically unharmonize with team-based tactics. Ironic, since, he has extensive officer training. This leads him more than willing to lead, but making him a poor follower, even though following is his natural state thanks to his natural passiveness.

Linker Skills: Fredrich-Alexander von Streuben's most defining Linker trait would be his immense immersion within the machine which he controls, melding with the neurology, and adapting the machine-mind as his own, harmonizing superbly with the machine as opposed to making it bend to his own whim. When seated in the NC's piloting capsule, the mind of the machine becomes his own, and the body of the metal giant is his. A fitting 'all-around good' quality for the pilot of the Emperor, which is an 'all-around good' machine. However, due to the lack of niche skills, whilst he may be an adept fighter and solid shooter, he is not an excellent one, both in the NC and outside of it.

He lacks the decisive qualities of a capable marksman Linker, and whilst he is resistant to the immediate effects which being a Linker can affect the body, he is highly succeptible to backlash, meaning he will have to endure longer periods of post-operation recovery than most due to his immersive nature as a Linker. Thus he does not necessarily have the stamina of the most endurable iron-walled Linkers either.

Though this is not his only skill, naturally, as a Linker. The training and regimented nature of his past in the military allows him a deep instinctual understanding of combat, though not necessarily those immediately pertaining to NCs specifically. Nonetheless, with this tactical sense, he can usually utilize a form of lizard-brained logic to guestimate the enemy's course of action with decent certainty, often leading him to flow erratically across the battlescape.

In addition, he is a developing individual without a necessarily extensive personality, leading him impressionable to certain impulses and developments. Making him a willing learner, though not necessarily in the forms one would expect.

Appearance: Armed with eyes which exude either mild disappointment or total indifference, depending on one's optimism, Emperor's visage is also accompanied with sharp and pointed structure, ultimately producing a fair face of average size. With a nose which does not intrude, and a mouth, adorned with two lip-piercings, which seldom utilizes the muscles it has available to gesticulate. Resulting in speech presented in the calmest of manners concievable. Perhaps even to an irritable degree. Even when presenting their spoken word's recipient with the most absurd of news, like when he informed his commander that he'd take gene-therapy to permanently recolour his otherwise brown hair into a pure white.

Whilst Emperor has a general dislike for spending, he can feel sudden urges, and act on them, resulting in exorbitant purchases of largely useless items. Like his tarot deck.

With a height of seven feet, often found wearing a variety of long coats in a number of darker colours, Emperor is certainly someone who stands out in the ordinary gathering. His specially embossed clothing adds to his visual presentation, as the Emperor's Tarot dominates the back surface of any of his apparel. His tarot card theme expands further, as he is found more often than not fumbling a variety of cards from his exclusively produced deck drawn by himself in his free time.

Misc: The Emperor has a business card, visually presented as the Tower's Tarot with contact and other business information on the back.

The Emperor was cleared of radioactive remains when he was first admitted into New Europe's Officer Corps.

The Emperor also spent more money on his tarot deck than the market value of an average appartment, he won't tell you how.

Production/ID Number: 2471-#9.

Name: Emperor.

Emblem/Heraldry:
The Emperor wields the same emblem as its name-sake, the Emperor's tarot card, in upright position. A meticulously gilded emblazoning across the right shoulder. After its first sortie, the machine has gained an additional 'emblem' of sorts, namely the Tower's tarot card, in upright position. Equally gilded, and placed to the diagonal lower-left of the first emblem, it seems to imply meaning. But its painter makes few comments as to its actual purpose or intent. Curiously, it was affixed to an articulating piece of pauldron armour, which moves and rotates during the deployment of the NC's right shoulder weapon.

Historical Record: 2471-9 is the youngest of its 'batch', and was originally the most troubling to develop. An incredibly quick growth grinded against a variety of software and hardware difficulties. It was described as being as if the unit was 'intentionally' fighting against its further development, and its artificial psuedo-cell cultures refused to properly graft with the electrical equipment. But, ultimately, the unit #9 was considered a surprising success, mostly by accident. The #9's control, however, was still considered a failure by its creator.

During its first sortie, it produced 'good performance,' as deigned by MAVERICK's de-facto leader, managing to eliminate a substantial assortment of combat drones through a variety technical, as well as brutishly powerful, displays of mechnical strength. Though yet truly untested, drones being far from the metric by which an NC is measured, the future seems to bode well for its rise through fame and infamy.

Construction: The 2471-9 is 15.5 meters, standing perceptibly taller than all of its 'siblings' and is best described as being in a 'medium-plus' weight category.

With a competent suite of capabilities, the 2471-9 appears as an incredibly ambitious creation, retaining fast, but not overpoweringly so, speeds whilst maintaining good endurance and agility without any restrictions beyond its viscious demand for a seemingly infinite amount of power.

Though an additional note needs to be made that, whilst the 2471-9 is highly advanced for a newly-built machine, it is still true that development and maintenance procedures are by far the most arduous and complicated amongst its batch. Due to the odd neurology of its otherwise superb shell, it often demands its maintenance crew to undergo specialist training and a variety of classes purchased from GR's development branch for complicated damages, adding substantial cost to the repair procedures.

Capabilities:It is the most physically developed of its siblings, and it certainly shows. In a 'medium-plus' weight category, it already has a good balance of raw power and mobility. Its slightly larger size means a better amount of raw strength, and enough space to fit just a bit more of everything. Its reactor runs a bit hotter with a higher output; its eyes a bit sharper, more space to fit a better computer; overall, it's just a bit more in every respect. Not being able to beat a specialist, it can nonetheless expect a third or second place in every category; strong but not over-bearing armor, good mobility without sacrificing firepower potential, and good hardware and software compatibility with new equipment, besides an entirely basic fire control system. The pilot is forced to use manual targeting. Neither a master of none or a master of one; an adequate expert in several fields.

It has high strength, being able to lift tanks off the ground, and can handle the recoil of most heavy weapons. It's agility is nearly like that of a martial artist or acrobat; and it has a general flight performance approaching that of propeller planes, but not yet jets. Its reactor is powerful enough to run most energy weapons, but not enough for the most demanding specimens, and certainly not enough for aerial maneuvers at the same time.

Limitations:The #9 maintains a highly impressive resumé should one go over the statistics, but none of that would attest for its controls and piloting practicality, it's one real flaw. The #9 was infamous to its developers for a tendency of intense psychic over-feedback, and the unit is very irresponsive to controls the vast majority of the time. Its NC neurology and synapse links are already 'overgrown' like a well-used NC; any sweeping modifications will be difficult to implement properly, and noticeably hurt and ache anyway.

Additionally, the shoulder-mounting mechanism, whilst otherwise a rigid and endurable system, is left vulnerable during the transition period during the mounting procedure.

Aesthetics:Across its angular chest, the titular word of the machine's own name is artistically melded, and embossed; all according to NC-painting's rigorous and wear-resistant procedural protocols. Clearly intent for the name itself to remain on the machine through both hailstorms and infernoes. It is a proud machine, "Emperor."

It has the same basic appearance as the rest of its siblings; a simple, utilitarian design with human-like proportions, but the #9 is more 'perfectly' humanoid. In general, it contrasts the rounded, somewhat neotenous features of the rest of its siblings with more distinct, sharper edges; more resembling an armored knight-prince ready for battle than a blunter, stocky machine of war.

All of this, nonetheless, blends together flawlessly; there's no obvious panel lines or seams to break up the NCs armor. Overall, this gives it an otherworldly, gaussian presence that furthers its 'regal' aesthetic, barely looking like it belongs in the world as something one can physically touch. With the fact it's usually spotlessly clean, it can radiate an aura of unnerving disbelief.

Nonetheless, it's still a machine of steel and circuitry. Its sharp-armored head, like an armet, sees with two sensors where one would expect the eyes to be, covered by a unique armored visor that furthers the knightly aesthetic, with a 'mouth'-covering plate. Alongside with audial receptors, and a basic tactile system able to perceive its own heat and the ambient temperature, this makes its senses human-equivalent. Its radio transciever antenna is situated externally, an angled horn that sprouts forwards and above from its head.

The overall frame, appearing more physically-developed with more distinct lines and curves, still betrays no obvious weakpoints and replaces the purely cylindrical limb-armor of the rest of the 2471 units with plates that have constricting rings around them; originally meant to hamper the psuedo-cellular synthmuscle's attempts to grow uncontrollably and burst the unit form the inside. Increasing durability, they were left on and never removed.

The chest is a standard cabin shaped overall similarly to an armored human's, with a backpack where the reactor is stored. The reactor exhausts thrust out right above and behind the hips, and from pods on the side of the hips, situated like holsters. The top half of the reactor-pack is dominated by the primary radiator grill. Its arms end in regular, five-fingered hands that, in the #9's case, end in sharp talons. It has elbow and shoulder pads, with the joints further covered in a thick tarp-like material.

Fully painted, the Emperor adds to its regal geometry with an accompanyingly stunning array of noble blues, crimsons, and whites. Combined with the natural visual properties of metal, Fredrich-Alexander sought to make legend of the material and manifest an ephemeral nature to the machine's otherwise physical property during its painting process. The Emperor's tarot, his emblem, is situated firmly along the right shoulder's front and rear, the Tower's tarot subdued beneath.

Innate Equipment: The 2471-9 has two innate, special-purpose complex mechnical hinges mounted across its shoulders for rigid mounting, aided through a rigid and partially concealed array of hydromechanical pistons. The mechanism is expertly built, but complex, allowing the weapons and the mechanism to be adequately protected through an armour covering during both mounted and subtracted position. The intent of the mechanism was for the allowing a fixed positioning for powerful weaponry without the added compromise of holding a weapon within the machine's hands.

A powerful, long-barreled cannon that needs to be unfolded to use, and preferably grounded and stabilized against something. A wide-caliber, battleship-esque gun that needs custom ammo, but its damage potential is hard to match. The cannon is mounted directly to the left shoulder and can fire without being dismounted; but guiding the cannon with a free hand is recommended for accuracy.

An electron particle accelerator firing whips of lightning; it leaks out a large amount of radiation at close range and would likely face penalties if used near populated areas. Nonetheless, a powerful weapon that's deadly accurate to mid-ranges, with a free EMP like effect against unprotected enemies. The particle cannon is bolted opposite of the cannon, another direct mount, and can also be fired without being dismounted.

Equipment Hardpoints: Number 9 also has two additional weapon hardpoints, two highly powerful magnetic locks across its upper-legs, allowing for the convenient storage of hand-held weaponry of both single and double-handed variety. The magnetic locks lack any definitive weaknesses, though prove a noise hazard due to the intensity of their magnetism during holstering. Due to their smart nature, however, they are capable of changing between active and inactive states, leading the machine to not attract stray bullets to its limbs.

A rapid-fire rifle of a smaller caliber, 90mm. Similar performance to an autocannon on an IFV, with good anti-material performance, and a rate of fire high enough for good anti-air usage. The gun is hand-held and is fitted to the NC's left leg via a magnetic lock system. The bayonet attached is optimized for stabbing opponents, and proves a potent 'lance' during charge movements.

A powerful rifle chambered to a standardized tank gun caliber, 130mm. A long barrel accentuates precise anti-armor performance, with a slow and steady rate of fire. The gun is hand-operated and rests at the NC's right holster via a magnetic lock system.

Additional: To be expanded.

Viper Actual · Feb 26, 2020

Jennifer 'Chimera' Peyton

Age: 31

History: Jennifer Peyton, more commonly known under her callsign 'Chimera', is a military veteran with previous service with both military and paramilitary forces of the Ruling Companies, namely a umbrella corporation working together under the name of Cronus Development Inc., with mechanized static defense operations and dynamic threat-assessment.
On a civilian note Peyton has maintained strict integrity and privacy in regards to her personal life which she prefers to not talk about- especially during work.

At one point in her career Peyton was offered to take a 'compatibility test' to see whether or not she would be able to enroll within MAVERICK's Neural Combatant-program. Turns out she was and as a result Chimera chose to invest in herself and a future career as a NC pilot, placing her in the class of '70.

Personality: A highly private person, Peyton is extremely guarded when it comes to personal matters. She maintains a strict discipline at work and might even come as cold due to her lack (and refusal) of personal relationships at work. Maintaining a good reputation is one of her main focuses, while establishing personal relationships is something she considers to be 'risky'.

Skills: Chimera's skills are mostly related to knowledge gained through her military service with a key focus being especially skilled with a variety of advanced computer systems, guidance systems, electronic warfare and long-range military communications.

Appearance: 184cm, slim/fit build. British accent. Cold expression most of the time. Very militarized-mannerisms and formal speech.

Misc: Has a secret bucket-list of locations she wishes to visit.

Name: Unit Number 2471-#7. No name currently.

Emblem/Heraldry: None yet determined.

Historical Details: #7 is a younger member of its 'family', the third-youngest. From early development, a quirk in its psuedo-cell cultures made standard armor grafts and linkages completely useless. Nothing melded properly but a particular alloy used for stealth operations; and #7 was finalized around this issue, turning it into a bonus instead of a failure. From that mistake, the unit was developed based on old, but tested stealth technology and techniques, intended for a user seeking to maximize its potential as a special operative.

Construction/Modification/Aesthetic: The #7 was built around its initial stealthy properties; a painfully angular, but low-profile design is emblematic throughout. Standing 14.8 meters tall and maintaining a practical usability, the #7 resembles old stealth technology with stark angles and a variety of features emphasizing its furtive nature. It barely resembles its kindred, with a totally unique armor design, but it has the same basic internal framework and proportions, similar to an adult in armor. Overall, the NC would be considered of a 'Medium-Minus' weight.

Its head is a blatant wedge, its edges colliding into a simple, raised point at the front, with eyes situated deep in glass sockets. The radio transceiver is completely hidden inside, but can pop out for a better reception when necessary, splitting out into 3 individual antennae at the back of its head. The neck, and the rest of its joints are covered in a thick, tarp material. In #7's example, you can hardly see this; its special joint armor covers all but a small peek of this weather-resistant feature. This reduces its flexibility somewhat, but further enhances stealth.

All dotted around its surfaces are various stealth-enhancing features; internal honeycomb structures to dissipate penetrating waves, acoustic panels, and every surface ultimately capping off to a deflective, angling design. Its arms end in five-fingered hands with sharp, pyramidal points, and its feet are solid three-dimensional triangular polyhedrons. The reactor-pack on its backside has an extended radiator grill to dissipate heat less densely, but the bottom still ends in two thrust vents, and there are still pipes leading to frontal-facing jets where the hips are. Uniquely, the thrust vents end in a 'sawtooth' design; the special shape reducing heat output and noise levels.

The NC is entirely unpainted, but its metal is naturally darker than a simple gray.

Capabilities/Limitations: The #7 was optimized for the stealth role from very early in its development; None of its components are quite as strong as they could be, but the unit still maintains a well-balanced medium between stealth and actual combat potential. Not as strong, or fast, or maneuverable, or armored as average; it still has sneaky, underhanded design tricks that let it fight battles just as effectively as it sneaks around. The armor angling gives it a good chance to bounce shots, and even without this it can withstand autocannon rounds easily enough; just not 'proper' artillery. It has a certain degree of aerodynamics with the pointed design, but it was optimized to deflect radar waves, not go through the air with low-drag.

It has low signatures in every band; resistant to radar, hard to detect with infrared, able to hide behind most things for visual, and it doesn't even make as much noise as a 15 meter war machine should. Especially if it has a distraction nearby; it can waltz undetected through the chaos of a battlefield. A fine intelligence gatherer and scout; its eyes have a high focus, but their field of view is poor. Overall, its weakest at short range; all of those factors that give it a decent chance of surviving combat don't work in close quarters. Long range is its best bet; able to make the most of its reduced visibility to be all-but invisible, and letting it take the first strike and thus achieve victory. It can also act as a scout, or direct the fighting.

Its aerial maneuverability is good, able to hover and maneuver like most VTOL's. Its strength is sub-par; and overall durability too. It can handle most equipment, but not heavy cannons or energy weapons. The high power needs of energy weapons would all but eliminate its advantages, too. Its FCS is completely basic, offering no ballistic assistance or missile capabilities. Its nervous system and musculature still don't want to properly mesh with standard materials, either; modifying this is going to be more expensive than usual. Still, the frame has a natural stealthiness that can be further improved.

Standard Loadout: The #7 comes with a sniper rifle, a submachine gun, a wide-area multi-spectra E.War device, and a laser communication array. In detail;

Sniper Rifle: A slow-firing, bolt-action, two-handed rifle offering high standards of precision and range. 200mm, it's chambered for a somewhat common artillery caliber. Able to skewer even ships with heavy shells, it uses such an 'archaic' action for the solid construction, further enhancing the accuracy of a long-barrel and matchgrade, reliable shells. Fully hand-operated (needing two), it rests at the units right shoulder when not being held.

Recoil-Compensated Submachine Gun: A fast-firing, triple-barreled 60mm 'SMG' with a large magazine, it can burst out a barrage of bullets in seconds. Requiring frequent reloads, its swarm of lead can still cause major damage to most targets. The ammunition is in a common caliber and thus can use a few specialty rounds, and doesn't need special orders to be resupplied. Short-ranged, but fitted with a recoil compensator; it can be fired accurately in its short reach, but no further. Can be used one-handed, and awaits usage at the left hip.

Wide Area, Multi-Spectra Electronic Warfare Suite: An older model ECM tool, it features a wide area jammer that can blanket the battlespace in fake radar returns, screw with unprotected communications, and an electronic snooper to listen in on the enemy. Not to mention produce convincing fake sounds of various military vehicles, even giving them an artificial echo. This same function can spoof sonar, if used underwater. It takes a very high amount of power; the NC should be grounded and allow itself some rest to recharge the batteries before usage. Thought-activated, and on the right-hip. Even though it's very high power, it's not particularly efficient, with a mediocre output for such high input. Due to this, it can't be expected to work against prepared enemies.

Laser Communications Array W/ Spares: The NC is fitted with a powerful laser transceiver, and three smaller spares; it can output all the way to the horizon and can track its 'children' to the same distance. The 'children' have to use their 'mother' as the main hub of communications. Incredibly difficult to intercept or disable, but low bandwidth; essentially one conversation at a time. Fitted high on a pylon on the units left shoulder, with the spares in racks on the pylon. The spares can stick to any surface using the 'Van der Waals' force, like a gecko. The spares can communicate to a host unit they're stuck to with a short-range, low-power radio transceiver inside. Each spare is solar-powered and has enough batteries to last through a night with occasional usage. The system can be entirely automated, but is thought-activated and can still be manually controlled. The laser can't be used as a weapon on its own, but might guide missiles with a few tweaks.

Additional/Optional Items: The #7 has no additional items yet.

Name: Alice Ericsen
Age: 27
Occupation: Neural-Combatant (NC) Handler, MAVERICK (current)
Business Manager & Public Relations, Grant & Stokes (formerly)

Personality:
Outgoing, optimistic and incredibly friendly, Alice is a hardwired people-person whom finds great pleasure in working with people of all shapes, sizes and backgrounds.

She is a professional but at the same time allergic to the stiff and cold attitude so widespread within the corporate world.

As a handler Alice is never hesitant to encourage or cheer pilots and other staff alike, always hoping (and expecting) for them to do their best.

Biography:

The eldest child and only daughter of Terrance 'Super-Terry' Ericsen, a former NC pilot, Alice was always bound for a career within MAVERICK one way or the other. Because of her father's ties she started out her initial career working with business management, PR and a little bit of HR.

Her aptitude with people-oriented tasks, casual yet professional presentations and overall happy attitude never went unnoticed from her peers and superiors.

Eventually Alice managed to land a job at MAVERICK as a NC handler- a thrilling advancement to say the least! With about two years of experience under her belt Alice is both happy and ready to put her skills to the test once more.

SkyHawk MK IV · Feb 27, 2020

Full Name: Hazel 'Ordnance' Scott

Age: 25

History:
Hailing from the Burrows, Hazel was raised by her parents with the intention of being someone who would get the least dangerous job like a secretary or a doctor. With everything going to plan, fate had reduced their hopes when Hazel discovered the wonders of blowing things up during her mid teens. Since then, Hazel would attempt to recreate such experiments and improve on them, at the cost of her parents' sanity and more than just a few hundred dollars worth of damage.

Instead, her parents decided to push her into a compromise, getting Hazel interested in fixing things instead of blowing them up. Though it didn’t fully stop Hazel from doing her own interests on the side she had taken a liking to fixing things and in later years, she ended up helping with repair work at the local mechanics to earn money on the side for later in life, luckily for her parents.

As time went on, Hazel was more careful with her little ‘experiments’, ensuring that her parents were looking the other way when attempting another ‘controlled’ explosion. Later years Hazel was looking at getting into the demolition business which as you might expect, her parents reaction was similar to an explosion going off. It took many months of pleading, until they finally gave in.

Diving head first into it, Hazel found herself as an assistant to the company. This initially annoyed her but stuck with it to get to her dream of being a demolition expert. Luckily for Hazel, her time working with machines, cars and anything mechanical had paid off, as she’d regularly keep vehicles and other equipment in check, with supervision of others of course.

During the next few months and the years to come Hazel was trained by the company's own team, allowing her to join one of the demolition teams. At this point, Hazel was at her highest, taking on military and civilian contracts with the team she was in which is where she picked up her nickname of ‘Ordnance’ for her explosive reaction to people screwing up on the job.

It wasn’t until about a year before Hazel joined the ranks of becoming a Linker that things went off the edge during work on a civilian contract. This time she was in charge of her own team and everything was in place. Flicking the detonation switch, nothing happened. Once more Hazel flicked it off and then back on with the same result. Hazel then took herself and three others to check on the charges, ensuring safety precautions first. With nothing seeming out of place, the charges detonated on their own, causing two fatalities and two severely injured. Hazel was the luckiest of the group coming away with only 3rd degree burns.

She spent a few weeks in hospital alongside the other wounded team member while a full investigation was carried out by the company with the final result being that a faulty wire had caused the entire incident. Unfortunately, the media would disagree, painting Hazel in an unfair light.

After getting out, she was cleared of all wrongdoing by the investigation however, Hazel still blamed herself for the incident and instead of getting the burnt skin fixed, she kept it as a reminder of what happens when things go wrong. Still working at the company, Hazel was supported by her team, despite the protests of others. Another year of contractors later, Hazel was approached by MAVERICK and offered her a job as a Linker. Hesitant at first, she thought about it for a day, before reaching the decision to accept the offer.

Personality: Hazel likes to do things her own way and take her time. This doesn't mean she can't work under pressure and adhere to time constraints, though she does prefer to work when there's flexibility involved. In addition, she is very self-conscious about the burn scar and will take attempts to hide it to avoid strange looks. Those who are interested in why her hair covers that particular part of her face, will be told it’s for aesthetics purposes like the colour of her hair.

Being around explosives and military contractors alike, Hazel adopted a stern militarized way of doing things, ensuring that anything built from the ground up isn’t slapped together and held with duct tape. She’ll routinely disassemble and reassemble explosives to check and double check for anything that could go wrong.

Other than that, Hazel likes to have conversation from time to time, though she mainly prefers to keep to herself when she has the opportunity to and loves to bounce unconventional ideas of mechanism and weapon systems off others when the subject arises. In addition, due to her accident with the explosive charges, Hazel is paranoid when it comes to keeping them secure, and will go to extreme lengths to ensure that explosives she uses are inaccessible to anyone.

Personal Skills: Hazels mechanical and demolition skills are the two things she's the best at. While she is skilled in two of these fields, her ability to defend herself in CQB is something that needs training on. In addition to this, whilst being contracted for military demolitions, she gained a bit of proficiency in handling weapons; mainly that of pistols. Whilst not exactly a marksman, she can still hold her own at range until the target gets within arms reach.

A good team leader, Hazel strives to ensure that everyone does their job and looks after her teammates. She knows how to make all parts work together without anything going wrong, to a certain extent.

Linker Skills: Hazel knows what pain feels like and as such, is able to tank a bit more feedback pain than the others, though overwhelming pain isn't something that she can handle. In addition, working with explosives makes for a steady pair of hands with precision in mind, allowing her carefully take apart and put together things when in her NC.

Appearance: Standing at 5" 11', Hazel sports the eye colour that she was called after as well as average weight and has grey hair which grows to just below the shoulder blades when not tied up. The reason for a grey hair colour is that Hazel liked the aesthetic look that it gave. Unfortunately for Hazel, a large burn scare covers the a left side of her face, stretching about halfway from the left jawline and up to her eye and covers this by using her hair as a shield. Hazel wears casual clothing and can be seen carrying a tool belt with her at all times with a heavy British accent to match, coming from the north parts of Yorkshire to be specific.

Misc: Hazel carries a lighter around with her as well, as can be seen sometimes to be staring at the lit flame from time to time.

Due to the burn scarring, Hazel also keeps on her medication to keep the pain at bay.

Production Number: 2471-6

Name: Hardpoint

Emblem/Heraldry: Hardpoint's Emblem

Historical Details: The #6 was one of the later units in its production run, and was noted for a high rate of growth of pseudo-cellular cultures, resulting in a large 'muscle mass' and dense 'skeleton'. To compensate and to limit further rampant growth, the unit was encased in somewhat heavier armor, shaped to constrict further ontogenesis. Otherwise fairly standard, it still developed a surprising proclivity for precise, 'gentle' movements, belying its large and intimidating stature.

Construction: As one of the later models, the #6 is more unique aesthetically. The #6 is obviously one of the heavier units, but is still somewhat short; being described as 'dense', but it still has certain frailties, such as the unique hands. Long and slender, each finger is unusually precise, with an additional knuckle each.

Standing 14.2 meters tall, it's notably short, but still masses similarly to the other units through its more obviously 'stocky' appearance, roughly equating to a 'Medium'. Following this, the similarities continue with the reactor-pack on its backside; with thrusts exhausting from two vents at the bottom of the pack itself, above the hips, and tubes outputting thrust to the front by way of 'holsters'. The pack's top half is distinguished by a radiator gill. It has a proportionate, spherical head with two sensor eyes behind an armored visor. All around the unit are growth-constricting bands, built and stylized similar to a roll cage overall.

Capabilities: The NC is another of the 'somewhat heavies' in the 2471 line; but maintains maneuverability better, even if it doesn't maintain speed of its limbs. Its unique bracing make it more resistant to damage overall, without severely increasing weight by any measure. Its musculature is unusually efficient, too, giving it good aerial mobility nonetheless.

This precision extends to its individual fingers; each of its fingers is quadruple jointed with an additional knuckle, and the hands of the #6 could plausibly disassemble large objects in a proper manner, or unjam finicky weapons. It could also set up field equipment; or combat demolition explosives. This high utility could be further improved.

The NC's sensors are fully human-equivalent, with a basic fire control system offering no assistance or calculative abilities to the pilot.

A new addition to the NC is a Demolition Assistance System (DAS for short), allowing the NC to target areas or structures and returning the best practice for demolition via explosives.

Limitations: Its most notable vulnerabilities are its slow and steady limb movement; it's difficult to run with it, but on the other hand its precision is incredible. It'll rarely trip, and could almost pass as a ballerina. Close combat is still never advised; its only chance would be using weapons with long reach.

Aesthetics: Painted in a light brown, the overall colour of Hardpoint resembles something of a bomb suit.

Innate Equipment: The unit has eight hardpoints; but only four weapons were originally allotted to it. Those weapons were a five-round rotary launcher, an automated point defense gun, an assault rifle, and a plastic explosive tool.

In detail, the weapons are as follows;

Rotary Launcher: An up-scaled 'grenade launcher' in the 250mm caliber, such as those used for heavy artillery or siege guns. The round is easily large enough to use any specialist munitions. Even standard rounds, such as AP and HE are capable of defeating almost any standard target, including most naval warships. Still, the low amount of shots (5 to a cylinder) precludes reckless usage. Furthermore, the slow muzzle velocity means that maneuverable targets are an unlikely hit. The cylinder must be manually turned, meaning that repeated firings necessitate two-handed operation. Nonetheless, presuming a chambered round only one hand is needed for accurate firing due to a 'high-low pressure' system (and weight) minimizing perceived recoil. Mounted to the right leg.

Assault Rifle: A completely average assault rifle in the 90mm caliber, a standardized autocannon round. Decent performance, it's not comparable to specialized rifles but has no weaknesses. Reliable, but not impressive. Able to be operated one-handed (bet used with two for accuracy) and is mounted on the left leg.

Point Defense Gatling: Taken from a naval warship and converted to NC usage, this 30mm gatling uses 'ETC' technology and five reinforced barrels to fire its shells incredibly quickly. With two magazine reservoirs it can switch between two types of ammo with a simple thought, due to the NC integration. Due to its high muzzle velocity, long barrel, and rapid rate of fire it can all but shut down enemies using missiles, slower artillery shells, and lightweight targets. Not to mention, an entire battalion of infantry would be a messy afterthought necessitating an army of buckets.

Explosives Tool: A unique tool, this 'gun' is able to 'fire' globular masses of sticky plastic explosives, and assist in shaping and setting them up. Its little prods, rods, scoops, and spoons can be used for other purposes with a little bit of ingenuity. Highly variable, presuming standard operation it can fire up to ten 'blobs' of plastic explosive, each about the size of a large commercial fridge. With the expertise of a demolitionist, the entire supply could easily cripple a military base after proper setup. Of course, this can be modified easily, not to mention each sphere being able to be molded into whatever shape. The tool also comes with a supply of detonation wire.

Additional/Optional Items: N/A

Pacificus · Mar 1, 2020

Full Name: Axton "Shark" Tambor

Age: 25

History: Axton started out as an atmospheric technician in New Miami, Florida. The settlement was owned by the Frostwind corporation. He never knew his mother and was raised by his father, who was a diver. The settlements main export is scrap and old-tech, recovered from the bottom of the ocean. The towns large and prestigious Diver Corps is looked upon favorably by management, for their major role in driving the settlements economy. Axton's job as an atmospheric technician, or "Atmo-tech", was to create and distribute a suitable oxygen mixture for divers to breath on their trips to the bottom. Dissatisfied with watching from the surface, Axton convinced a diver named Johnston Burke to take him on as an apprentice, with his fathers help.

Axton began diving at 21 years old. At first, starting slow, mainly as a support element, running tools from submerged worksites to their support vessels. But with time and experience, he would prove himself and was allowed to conduct solo expeditions. He was highly successful, discovering large amounts of preserved fuel from sunken tankers. Two years into his diving career, he earned the nickname "Shark" for an incident that occurred onboard a sunken Coast Guard cutter. The old patrol vessel was suspected of containing a large number of well-preserved firearms. While scouting the site, Axton became trapped in the ships forecastle. The only way in and out was through a hole in the deck, which had been blocked by a giant predatory squid. His only weapon was his diving knife, which he lashed out violently with. The squid fought back, forcing Axton against the bulkhead and knocking his mask off. With the squid so close, he leaned in and bit its head. The squid became convinced this prey was no longer worth the effort, and retreated. Axton got his mask back on and returned to the dive boat.
While recounting the story, someone asked, "So you got eaten by a squid?" Axton replied, "Well, technically, I ate the squid." He was given the nickname "Shark" and has gone by it, since.

It was after this that some big-wig in management decided to have him tested to see if he could undergo the cybernetic surgery to become an NC pilot. Axton wasn't keen on giving up his beloved diving career and declined, but when the results came back positive, he was heavily pressured by management to undergo the surgery. Axton relented when the corporation threatened to terminate his fathers employment if he didn't accept. He took to the surgery incredibly well, and swept the ranks during his training to become a Plugger. Though he enjoys piloting the NC's, the fact that he was forced into it has left a bad taste in his mouth.

Personality: Axton is an ambitious, yet careful individual who does his best to avoid what he calls "Group-think". This means he is fiercely independent and self-sufficient, but poor at teamwork. He's not hot-headed by any means and is capable of stomaching a large amount of frustration and anger. He doesn't become discouraged when a challenge fights back, but only gets back up and tries again, often in a different way. His years as a diver lent to him many favorable traits. Particularly, excellent pattern recognition, improvisation skills and a lack of fear of the unknown. However, he remains poor at communication. At the bottom of the ocean, he was often left with his own thoughts. He has a habit of thinking something that he meant to say, but doesn't. Often he doesn't realize it when he does it. Until recently, he had been a very positive individual but since being pressured into becoming a Plugger, he has taken on a relatively cynical worldview.

Skills:
-Excellent swimmer
-Can hold his breath for a long time.
-Very physically fit
-Excellent at hunting sea critters
-Poor at teamwork
-Terrible at cooking
-Bad with digital equipment but good with analog.

Appearance: He stands at an average 182cm with noticeably strong muscles, long legs and great reach. His hair hangs down over his ears and is colored a very deep brown. His brownish-gold eyes are considered quite beautiful. His face is round but with a very prominent jaw. Though, deeply Caucasian, he is very tan due to constant exposure to the sun. He's never heard of formal wear and defaults to sandals, comfortable shorts and a T-shirt (If any shirt at all). He usually wears an ancient Miami Marlins baseball cap whenever possible. There is a scar that appears as two reciprocal "V" shapes on his right shoulder. They are left over from his fight with a giant squid. The beast got a good grip on his shoulder with its beak and clamped down tight. The scar is quite large and the edge is visible even when wearing a shirt. Often, he smells of brine.

Misc: Axton never starts something without having an end-goal. Becoming a pilot has left him without a plan. This makes him mad when he thinks about it.

YsFanatic · Mar 1, 2020

Full Name: Adam Davion

Age: 24

History: At first it looked like Adam was destined for a regular childhood in the Los Angeles Burrow but an accident that resulted in his legs being crushed changed all of that. Adam was rushed to the nearest hospital and despite the severity of his injuries it initially appeared he would recover, but an infection complicated matters. Only an experimental medication could save his life, but the cost was more than the family could reliably afford. In the end Adam would be permanently restricted to using a wheelchair.

Despite being disabled, he started work as soon as he was old enough in order to help put food on the table and for a while things started to get better. Then his parents were in a car accident that claimed their lives. Low on money and desperate to live, he turned to the only option he could think of, being tested to see if it was possible for him to become an NC pilot. Thankfully his results were above average, causing MAVERICK to judge the cost of his medicine a worthwhile investment to get another pilot on their roster. Through hard work and dedication through the recovery from the surgeries and the training that followed, Adam is finally in a position to be able to support himself.

Personality: As there was a lack of activities adapted for disabled people in the Burrow, Adam mostly turned to books and video games for entertainment. The rampant discrimination against disabled people, at least in his part of the Burrow, made it extremely difficult to make friends. This led him to becoming more reserved simply because he learned not to expect kindness from the majority of the people he would meet. He has grown tolerant of the discrimination against himself, but does not take well to seeing that behavior being directed against others.

He is incredibly devoted to his new life as a Plugger, to the point that he's willing to take jobs he would otherwise find repulsive just so he can pay off his debt and finally have financial independence. However, depending on the nature of the job, the guilt may eat away at him.

Skills: Between the discrimination and a lack of money for college, Adam lacked many of the experiences other people had growing up. As such he is largely unaware of any particular talents he may have. He does know however that despite how much he loves puzzles that he is rather bad at them.

Appearance: Short black hair and brown eyes. Sticks with wearing sweatpants and gym shorts due to ease of use. Wears a wider variety of shirts but often sticks with simpler ones to match his pants. Arms are fairly muscular from using his wheelchair, which looks like it could have been taken from a hospital dumpster. The only modicum of comfort on the chair is an old seat cushion covered by a folded up blanket strapped in place.

Misc: N/A for the moment

Name: 2471-#3

Emblem/Heraldry: None, currently.

Historical Details: The 3rd unit laid down, the NC's development was monitored closely, and managed to be developed in-line with projections, if heavier than expected. Built before the production-run was in full swing, particular attention could be afforded to its development, resulting in a standard, 'well-behaved' NC. Nonetheless, the lead developer noted that there was a handicapped pilot scheduled to receive one of his machines. James Andala, the man in charge, decided that #3 would be modified to suit the unique needs of the expected pilot. Work was quick with few complications.

Construction/Modification/Aesthetics: The #3 is a well-built unit with a somewhat widened, broad frame. Classified as a 'Medium-Plus' weight, it's similar in proportions to a 'strong-man', but still follows a reasonable approximation of the human body and mostly resembles the rest of its kin. Its head is its most notable feature; a complete re-design starting from the neck upwards. Instead to a spherical cranium, the #3 has a more strongly built, squarish head. From the front, its neck is protected by additional armor plating looking to bounce rounds off each side.

In general, the unit as aforementioned is bulkier than its peers. Its limbs are more square-shaped, but the joint sections are still round to promote limb maneuverability. Its chest is the only other notable departure from the other units. The unique armor design perhaps resembles a plate-carrying vest. The back of the unit is similar to the others; with a reactor-backpack taking up the majority of the space above the hips, a radiator grill at the top, and two exhaust jets at the bottom of the backpack. And, of course, the backpack has two tubes connecting it to a holster on each side of its pelvis; where the backwards-thrust is spewed.

The unit's legs have four perturbances each; with intakes up top and vents at the bottom. In use, these create even more noise than the thrusters. The legs end with big, circular feet, with three 'toes' in a triangular formation, two projecting up front, one at the back as a heel. Its hands are somewhat chunky, with fingers that are shaped like squares with rounded off edges.

Capabilities/Limitations: The #3 is a very stable machine, with a decent power-output somewhat hampered by most of it being used by its large muscles. The opposite of aerodynamic; it's more dedicated to being a powerful ground-based unit, but maintains maneuverability by a clever method similar to a hovercraft. By projecting a cushion of air underneath its feet, it can focus more thrust horizontally, letting it more efficiently use what thrust it has if it limits itself to gliding over the surface. Additionally, this lets it move effectively over terrain that usually wouldn't support such a heavy vehicle, like sand dunes, a marsh, or even the ocean.

Due to its heavy weight and blunt, thick design, the NC has the bare minimum of flight capability. Only just able to maintain formation with military helicopters, it makes up for this in raw power and command-responsiveness. With prodigious strength, the NC is strong enough that, with difficulty, it can derail trains and throw them like logs at a caber-toss. Not to mention handle the recoil of truly heavy weapons and lug them about. Sadly, like the rest of its kindred it only came standard with a basic, manual fire control system, and can't handle guided weapons or offer any form of aim assist. Its energy capacity, too, is nothing to be amazed for; basic energy weapons at most.

Defensively, its armor is very effective. Through simple thickness, it can withstand light artillery and can survive a decent few specialist anti-armor rounds reliably. The overall density of the design is also a significant factor, there simply being more to damage before hitting something vital. Overall mobility being considered, it's comparable in that regard to a person wearing heavy body armor; capable of moving around normally, certainly, but not advanced gymnastics by any measure. Its weight, too, precludes mobility in uncooperative terrain with its own feet; necessitating the special air-pressure system.

Standard Loadout: The #3 is fitted with a standard, all-round setup as its default. A powerful precision rifle, a one-hand pistol, and a combat knife; complimented by a signal jamming device. In detail;

Precision Rifle: An 130mm rifle in a standard tank-cannon caliber, this weapon is engineered for precise attacks up to medium-range. Its bulky design combines accuracy and fire-rate with good destructive power; heavy, but a keeper. Operated by hand, best with two, and rests on the unit's left shoulder-clamp when unused.

Heavy Pistol: A pistol firing rounds in the 100mm caliber, the handgun can be operated with one hand to full effectiveness. Offers decent power to short ranges, but isn't terribly accurate. Best when used in conjunction with another short-range weapon, or as a backup for long battles. Usually resting on the right holster.

Combat Knife: A standard combat knife, suitable for both stabbing against armor and slashing at softer opponents. Easily maneuvered, but can't be used defensively well. Quick to draw, it awaits in a sheath on the left holster.

Jamming Device: A large, long box; containing a powerful radar jamming device. Suited for messing with radar guided missiles and detection systems, it further enhances survivability by making missiles lose track and reducing the #3's chance of being the subject of a precise firing solution. Has a good range, letting it cover nearby allies too. Doesn't affect infrared, optics, or sonar. As it takes a notable amount of energy, the NC should switch this off when not in use, as it reduces the overall capabilities of the unit. Right holster, thought-operated.

Additional/Optional items: None, yet.

Tanya Degurechaff · Mar 1, 2020

Full Name: Niko H. Lancelot

Age: 20

History: Niko was a surface-born, from the start. Raised by an elderly man that believed chivalry could make a resurgence with the world being somewhat reset outside of the burrows. The man was outdated, and clearly not appreciative of the direction humanity had taken in the past. Still, the Earth was a clean slate on the surface, to a degree. A somewhat fresh world, ready for the taking, were it not for the advent of NCs. NCs could rule by force, without a need for much else but a steady ammunition supply, and some decent maintenance.

So the man decided he’d have to fight fire, with fire. Unfortunately, he did not possess the proper traits to pilot an NC himself, but his son did. With Niko being the same then as he is now, it took little convincing to get him interested in piloting NCs for the greater good, supposedly. He hasn’t questioned it since, being a firm believer in the old man’s cause.

Personality: Niko is best described as naive at best, and a total idiot at worst. At least in the common sense department, which he appears to have skipped over for the most part. He’s hopelessly idealistic, overbearingly optimistic, and sees the job of NC Pilot as a heroic occupation. Niko feels as if he is obligated to help because he can, and sees peace as something achievable with enough effort. Between all of that and his unnecessary selflessness, he’d be the last person anyone would consider for the job, if it weren’t for his inherent compatibility with NC piloting. Those that require assistance but have little to offer may find him useful, provided they word their contract to appeal to these traits.

He’s generally sociable, though some may find his mentality too obnoxious to hold a conversation with.

Even he isn't sure about his boundless optimism and knack for piloting; all he knows is that it rubs people the wrong way. But that’s nothing new to him.

Skills:
Hand-Eye Coordination/Throwing Skill - Give him a rock to hunt with. He will work some magic with that rock.

Good Sense of Smell - Odd, but not entirely unheard of for someone to have a good nose. He’s one of said people.

Iron Stomach - The slop you may find in certain cafeterias is just as good to Niko as anything else. He also won’t be feeling it the next morning.
Melee Weapon Proficiency - Both in and outside of an NC, Niko is good with melee weapons, including the improvised variety.

Flora & Fauna Identification - What it says on the tin. Niko has at least learned what he can and cannot eat in the wild, and what will try eating him.

Appearance: Niko stands at 5’6, weighing in at 140lbs. He has somewhat tan skin, an average build, and dark blue eyes. (Appears black without good lighting) He has somewhat unkempt brown hair, which gets darker as it nears the end of the strands. Niko tends to wear anything with a large number of pockets (think cargo pants and a jacket), or just his pilot suit.

It is standard affair to see him smiling, outside of the most extreme of circumstances. His voice carries his enthusiasm quite well.

Misc: N/A?

Name: Unit Number 2471-#5. Currently unnamed.

Emblem/Heraldry: Currently none.

Historical Details: 2471-#5 is the 'middle-child' of its peers; beginning development when the initial materials were fully sourced and when production was fully ramped up. Perchance due to this unique time, the #5's 'unconfirmable developments', such as synthetic psuedo-cell nerve growth and synapse link construction, were challenging, the developers shifting to a higher-speed tempo than the first four units and finding it hard to shift so quickly to the new speed of work.

In the middle of the more standardized units born before it, and the more unique units born after it, the #5 still managed to develop fairly normally, with some difficulty.

Construction/Modification/Aesthetics: The #5's most easily notable feature is its short stature; its head resting barely 13.7 meters above the ground. Its overall construction is slight; being described as 'petite' by the lead developer. Nonetheless, it manages to follow a subdued, neotenous reflection of the original template it was designed after. It would be considered a 'Lightweight-Plus' weight.

As all the others, #5 is based off of a simple, utilitarian aesthetic that still isn't quite boring. In #5's case, it's closer to the proportions of a teenager than a fully-matured adult, somewhat resembling a 'fairy' or 'pixy' when counting its other features. Specifically, the large rods suspended over its back. With these rods counted, it's technically the same 15 meters as its siblings. These rods are on moveable joints and are actually fold-out radiators, built similarly to a paper fan or an insectoid's wings. Fully extended, they make a circular shape behind the unit with a diameter of 5~ meters. This greatly enlarges the unit's 'presence', and when under full-power the radiators glow a dull, but visible red. The face of each radiator is lightly crenallated, increasing overall surface-area.

The unit's frame is somewhat more distinctly shaped for aerodynamics; generally being pointier and better rounded-off. No bluntly flat surfaces are anywhere unless absolutely necessary, but it still follows a human proportionate design, besides the extended, rounded torso cabin. Its feet, however, are downright spiky; ending in sharp, solid wedges. Its five-digit hands end in wedge-shapes for each fingertip as well. Notably, it has two antennae pointing forwards and down, extending from its forehead in a 'V' shape. Underneath them is the unit's visor, underneath which two sensors rest.

The unit's back is dominated by a backpack, where the radiator-wings are fitted instead of the standard radiator grill. For #5, the backpack casing has 3 exhaust-directing vents at the bottom, with one large one in the middle and two to the sides, like a 'W'. As with the others, the reactor exhausts thrust forwards by directing energy through units where holsters would be on each hip. The #5 forgoes the armored pads on its elbows and knees, but maintains the weather-resistant tarp over each joint.

The NC is entirely unpainted.

Capabilities/Limitations: The #5's small size and lighter weight, already permitting a good degree of flight, was optimized further by increasing the unit's plausible reactor output. A larger cooling capacity offered by its 'wings', give it the ability to run its reactor hotter for all but the most demanding energy weapons; but the intended function was always to optimize flight performance. Combined with the #5's more aerodynamic shaping, it's easily the most capable of its siblings for fighting in the air. With its wings offering both an aerodynamic surface and higher reactor temperatures, the NC can expel enough thrust to match the acrobatics of some jets and, in straight, level flight, just barely break the sound barrier at sea-level.

The armor is below par, but in practice not entirely fragile. One of the weakest units in its family, it can still deflect poorly-aimed shots and the majority of fire up until the 'autocannon' range. Its higher surface area with its rounded shapes, meanwhile, combined with its greater cooling potential makes it surprisingly durable against the vast majority of heat-based energy weapons like lasers and directed plasma.

Although it has less raw mass and strength to use, it's still about as strong as its siblings, merely having less 'endurance' in tests of strength. It can thrust a sword into an armored building, but can't be expected to do it out of nowhere; tactical timing and good sense are needed to work around its liabilities. Its overall agility is excellent, comparable to a master of the martial arts, and overall command responsiveness is high-tier. Modifications are simple, due to the same underdeveloped physiology that stunted its growth, and its synapses should adapt to new modules or changes fairly quickly without major issue.

It only has a basic fire control system: manual targeting only.

Standard Loadout: The #5 is usually fitted with only two weapons; a dual-reservoir sprayer able to be loaded with two of almost any liquid, and a large-scale multipurpose arming sword. In detail;

Dual-reservoir sprayer: An device with two canisters, able to launch a stream of condensed liquid up to short/medium range. Slow to impact, its tactical flexibility, if prepared in advance, is still second-to-none. Enemies can be slowed by joint-fouling gunk, or sprayed with acid, and allies can have field-repairs with hull sealant and fight harder than normal with pressurized coolant sprayed over radiators. These are just the obvous examples; the possibilites are limitless!

Multipurpose sword: A somewhat long sword (quite amusingly large in the hands of NC #5), the sword was specially designed to maximize potential usability. Not only a sharpened point and a fine edge, the cross-guard is able to parry blows and be used as a war-pick with ease. The lengthened handle allows for two-handed usage or half-swording, to better penetrate thick armor. Additionally, the pommel is removeable and can be used as a heavy rock to throw at an enemy in a pinch; to end him rightly. When the pommel is attached, the sword can be used upside-down like a mace instead.

Additional/Optional Items: NC 2471-#5 has no additional items available yet.

AnonyMouse · Mar 3, 2020

Full Name: Camille “Kamikaze” Azata

Age: 28

History:

Camille’s story begins over two centuries ago, on the eve of the Great Disaster, when her great-great-great-great-great grandfather, Hiroyuki “Quixote” Azata, was invited into the San Francisco Burrow. A second-rate NC pilot with an impeccable record, Hiro embodied all of the old stories of valor and bravery. As a reward for his service, he was given a place in the underground city. However, the company made one fatal mistake. Hiro was a family man, with five brothers, two sisters, and a dozen or so cousins, aunts and uncles… yet they only invited Hiro, his wife, and son. Needless to say, he turned down the offer, and chose to take his chances on the surface, setting in motion the events that would shape his family for the next seven generations.

While the west coast was engulfed in nuclear hellfire, the Azata clan crawled east, with an ever-growing caravan of refugees in tow, led by Hiro’s NC. Turning his back on the corporations technically made him an Irregular, but, in those early months, the world was too chaotic to enforce the old laws. Bandits, cannibals, and starving animals were a far more immediate threat, not to mention simply finding food and shelter from the fallout. Camille grew up hearing stories of Quixote fending off villains in his rusting NC. He was old and gray when they finally got the better of him. He died in battle against two enemy NCs, deployed to bring him to justice. According to the legends, he fought them to a standstill, but perished of acute radiation poisoning due to a reactor breach. Out of respect, the enemy pilots stripped its weapons and left his derelict NC where it stood, as a monument to his heroism.

Frankly, Camille didn’t believe any of that shit. The surface is a harsh mistress. There are no heroes, no villains, no respect. Just predators and prey. Her mother died in childbirth, so she was raised by her father and older brother, who taught her the ins and outs of the family business: picking through the bones of the old world and selling them to the highest bidder. They specialized in recovering old industrial equipment, using techniques passed down for generations. They worked the Illinois region, using sonic emitters to soften the earth enough to ‘dive’ through the layers of silt and sand and reach the relatively intact city streets far below. It was dangerous, highly-specialized work, often involving weeks or months underground, but gave them access to untouched salvage.

After one such dive, they surfaced and found bandits waiting for them, which wasn’t exactly unheard of in this line of work. They fended off the attack, but her father was badly wounded and would forever walk with a limp. They tried to keep the business afloat, but it was clear he couldn’t keep up and this region was getting too dangerous, so they began moving westward. Cammy was eighteen when her family split; her brother continued diving ruins in Iowa with a new crew, while she and her father started a courier business. There was good money in hauling loads across the Midwest. While this wasn’t much safer than diving, it was a lot more exciting. No more trudging through dark, underground cities. She was out in the open now, blazing across the wild west.

After too many near-death experiences due to driving other people’s jury-rigged bullshit, she and her father built their own big rig and began to develop a reputation for fast, reliable service. This is where Cammy’s skills as a mechanic and driver truly began to shine. Their trips took them across hundreds of miles of wasteland, where a breakdown could mean death. Sometimes, she would drive. Other times, she would man the guns to keep the bandits at bay. In the later years, she served as an advanced scout, speeding out ahead of the convoy in a buggy or motorcycle to spot potential threats or act as a decoy. Her father didn’t approve, but Cammy found this strategy the most effective and enjoyable, and it’s where she first developed the nickname, “Kamikaze.”

Cammy began to accept the occasional solo contract. On one such run, she was transporting microprocessors to a settlement in Utah, when a small convoy of bandits emerged from a ravine. No problem, her motorcycle could outrun them. At least, that’s what she thought. To her surprise, they were slowly gaining on her. With no other option, she readied her rifle, flipped a u-turn and charged at her pursuers. What followed was the most intense battle of her life. One stupid girl on a motorcycle versus four, fully-loaded technicals. In the chaos, she never even noticed the NC silently watching from a nearby butte. When the dust settled, she was still alive and most of the blood spilled wasn’t her own, so she took the only working vehicle left amidst the carnage and limped it to Utah to turn in her contract, a sack full of broken microprocessors. Great.

She was drowning her sorrows in a bar when some chick claiming to be a Linker --yeah, right-- started prattling on about ‘the trait’ and how ‘impressed’ she was and how Cammy should get tested. Worst pickup line ever. Cammy doesn’t remember much about the conversation, other than sucker punching the woman in the jaw when she realized she had been watching the whole fight and didn’t do a damn thing to help. Anyway, Cammy wasn't one to back down from a challenge. If this asshole thought she had what it takes, she would jump through a few hoops to prove this woman right… then rub it in her face until she wished she was wrong. Cammy took to the implants surprisingly well and scored high marks in the simulators, despite constantly breaking things and insisting, “a real NC could’ve survived that.”

She still thinks her acceptance into the program is someone’s idea of a sick joke. And that’s fine. She’ll laugh all the way to the bank.

Personality:In a word, “fast.” Cammy thinks fast, talks fast, acts fast. She has an inability to sit still and is always keeping busy or, at the very least, fidgeting like a coiled spring under pressure. She is a creature of instinct and has learned to trust the first thought that pops into her head, leaving little room for second-guessing or dilly-dallying once her mind is made up. This can make it difficult for others to keep up, both inside and outside of the cockpit, as she tends to jump from one target/topic to another. Despite her namesake, she is not suicidal, though most people can be forgiven for thinking so. Her tendency to put absolute faith in her skills and instincts and fully commit to her chosen path can look reckless to those who don’t ‘get it.’ There is no 'right' choice, merely the choice she is making in the moment.

However, she is reckless when it comes to social interaction. Cammy lacks a social filter and will talk to anyone about anything, regardless of rank or position, and can be brutally honest, though it rarely comes from a place of malice. Tends to wear her emotions on her sleeve and tell others exactly what she thinks of them --good or bad-- but is also relatively thick-skinned when they return the favor. She will lie, cheat, and steal from her enemies, but allies get the pure, naked truth, (sometimes literally,) and she expects them to treat her the same way. That means lots of banter and verbal sparring. If she is dishing out insults and witty comments, that usually means she likes you, or at least finds you interesting enough to not be dismissed outright. Although her work is solid and speaks for itself, she can certainly come across as far too casual, unprofessional, and abrasive.

Personal Skills:She is something of a mechanical savant, brimming with ‘solutions’ you won’t find in the field manual. Sometimes that means ample usage of shoe string, duct tape, and zip ties. Years of experience has taught her not only how to repair things in unorthodox ways, but when to ignore the things that just don’t matter. If it ain't broke, send it! She seems to be able to bring out the most in any given machine, whether that be driving a damaged vehicle to its absolute limits or getting one last grilled cheese out of a toaster everyone thought was dead. This also translates into an ability to adapt quickly to modifications and see where improvements can be made. Her maintenance crew is never left scratching their heads; Cammy often points out problems or necessary tweaks before they even begin to diagnose the issue.

In terms of other skills, she is highly self-sufficient. Life on the surface has taught her how to cook, forage, hunt, find or build shelter, handle herself in a fight, and dress wounds. She would be described as a scrappy fighter, with no formal training prior to joining MAVERICK, but well-versed in eye-gouging, dick-kicking, and running-like-hell, and almost always has some form of knife or shiv on her. She is also a decent shot with long guns, such as rifles and shotguns, but not very well-acquainted with newer military-grade weapons. Definitely an iron sights and bolt actions type of girl. She also has a vast social network and is one of those people who seems to know someone in every settlement on the surface. Less so in the Burrows, obviously. She is definitely a 'people person' and tries to bring others together, more often than not, but her abrasive personality bars her from being a true leader.

Linker Skills:Years of working with heavy equipment has given Cammy exceptional spatial awareness when operating large machines. Whether it's a big rig or an NC, she has an uncanny ability to innately know its dimensions, maneuver with ease, and (sometimes literally) park it on a dime. When in the cockpit, this manifests as very natural-looking, confident movements, even in tight quarters. Her NC's quadrupedal stance really plays off of this aspect, making her movements highly unpredictable and very animal-like. Opponents who try to read her movements or look for "tells" will likely be disappointed. There is very little telegraphy before Raijin strikes.

Her mechanical knowledge also comes in handy. Cammy adapts quickly to changes in her machine, whether that be damage or new upgrades or modifications, and can easily articulate her findings to her maintenance crew. The technicians can probably learn more from her than from the machine's data logs. However, this also means she dislikes 'smart' technology and has a tendency to ignore built-in warnings, alerts, and other safeguards, and will sometimes even switch them off, preferring to go by 'feel.' She has a tendency to take her NC right up to its breaking point --or beyond--if the mission calls for it. While she can sometimes be sentimental about Raijin, she also feels you sometimes must break something to improve it.

Perhaps her greatest asset is her consistency under pressure. Cammy is no stranger to life-or-death situations and appears to be immune to 'freezing up.' If anything, she seems to sharpen under pressure, and can seem a little lost if the stakes aren't high enough. Threats and intimidation tactics usually have little effect on her psychological state. Even pain seems to be something she either shrugs off or enjoys... to a certain degree, of course. These psychological tics are both a gift and a curse; she makes decisions quickly, adapts when necessary, and generally tries to keep one step ahead of the tide of battle, but this can sometimes cause her to be overeager or accelerate a situation that should be de-escalated. Tends to double-down on errors and try to make it work, when she should be backpedaling or aborting entirely. Instigating chaos is her idea of 'controlling the battlefield,' and she appears to have a natural talent for navigating said chaos, but this doesn't work well in situations where careful coordination is required.

Appearance:5’2”, 90 lbs, skinny, and all legs. Despite her small stature, she has a distinct swagger, as if she’s the biggest person in the room; always seems comfortable in her own skin. She is of Japanese-American heritage, with brown eyes, a fair complexion, and thin lips, often curled into a sly smirk or devious grin, as if there is a joke playing out in her head and you are either the comedian or the punchline. Her naturally dark, black hair, is almost always roughly cut and dyed a wild color (currently neon blue, but black at the roots). Although she is fluent in Japanese (as well as Spanish,) she does not have a discernible Asian accent. Her cadence of speech and penchant for colorful language paint her as a low-class surface-dweller, and she ain't shy about it at all. While she’s not excessively loud, she does tend to rapid-fire her words, like a verbal machine gun. Her attire is typically a t-shirt, hoodie, and skinny jeans, with dirty sneakers. Often wears black, because it hides the grease and oil stains. Also, she has lots of tattoos… most of them look pretty awful, like they were doodled with a Sharpie, while drunk.

Misc:

Cammy is a surprisingly good artist, when she takes her time. Unfortunately, most of her "art" consists of hastily-drawn cats scribbled in random places on her NC and workspaces, using spray paint and/or permanent markers. They are sometimes accompanied by 'motivational phrases...' or whatever dumb shit popped into her head as she was drawing them.

NC Spec Sheet

Production/ID Number: 2471-8

Name: "Raijin" Mk 1.5

Emblem/Heraldry:A depiction of an angry blue cat, surrounded by weaponry. The image is very colorful, almost psychedelic, and drawn in a graffiti style, complete with paint runs and faded edges. This "war-cat" mascot can be seen in many places on Raijin, usually stenciled in hidden nooks and crannies only seen by mechanics and technicians. But the most visible and detailed mural is on the NC's left pauldron. The cat's visage has war paint, barbed wire for whiskers, and is scarred and bandaged, but clearly defiant, as if engaged in a never-ending hard-fought battle. It is surrounded by various weapons, radiating out like rays of the sun -- rifles, handguns, missiles, bombs, knives, swords, brass knuckles, a lit molotov, a hammer, a baseball bat, even a bloodied wrench -- and a fiery mushroom cloud as a backdrop.

Historical Details: 2471-8, a.k.a. "Raijin," is the second-youngest unit in its production line, and is another of the stranger examples of NC architecture. Early on, its arms' psuedo-cells were noted for an unplanned degree of flexibility, but this wasn't seen as a major limiting concern and was simply developed around. To test its capabilities, it was actually used with an anonymous Linker at the helm to help tweak the design of the other units.

Upon selecting this unit, its pilot, Camille Azata, decided it would best serve as a high-speed, ground-based interceptor. To that end, she mounted dual jet engines to its back, taking advantage of the unit's back-mounted weapon hardpoints. The original design was capable of jettisoning the engines and their fuel supply, in case of an emergency. Despite initial tests looking very successful, flaws were found in the very first mission. Foreign debris caused a catastrophic failure in Raijin's port engine, which was so badly damaged the locks seized, preventing it from being ejected from the NC.

After the engine failure, Raijin's crew replaced both engines with spares, permanently affixed them to the NC's chassis, and routed the fuel internally, using it as a secondary cooling system. While the fuel supply cannot be jettisoned, it can be shut off, via a series of valves and pressure gates. This resulted in a slight increase in fuel efficiency and about 5% better reactor cooling, while also improving weight distribution by eliminating the bulk of a centralized fuel tank or cell. The result was "Raijin mk 1.5," a temporary solution until more robust engines can be procured.

Construction / Modifications / Aesthetics:The easiest feature to notice about 2471-8 is its unique arm design, divided into five segments, instead of just an upperarm and forearm. This extra flexibility extends to its fingers, which are long, claw-like digits, arranged in a circular formation, with no distinct thumb. Due to the extended length of each arm, (reaching past the unit's knees,) this NC finds a quadrupedal posture more natural, especially when on-the-move. Nonetheless, it is still considered a human-type and generally matches performance to other human types.

The unit's head is fairly standard, besides a magnification visor fitted over its eyes, and a shorter, less distinct neck. Cammy has added two, large, triangular, "cat ear" intakes to its head. These channel air through the neck, and directly to the reactor to aid cooling. Because of this, the unit cools very efficiently when in motion, but temperatures can begin to creep up when stationary or if the intakes are damaged or blocked. Its shoulder armor is also completely different, featuring very basic, spherical pauldrons, with no weapon clamps. Instead, the weapon mounts were moved to its unique backpack, which is completely flat. Thrust is directed to vents on its hips for backwards motion, and directly exits two movable vanes on the backpack for the rest.

Its unique backpack has no upper portion for a single, large radiator; instead, eight smaller radiators are situated around the NC's middriff, sort of like a utility belt or fanny pack. Thick metal exo-cages and grilles have been affixed to them, offering protection if the NC lies down or scrapes its belly on the ground. Furthermore, 2471-8's cooling fans blow outward rather than inward, to avoid ingesting dust and debris when the NC is prone. Due to its tendency to operate as a quadruped, this means the NC is trying to exhaust hot air downward, which isn't exactly ideal. Nevertheless, its eight radiators offer greater total surface area than a standard NC's single radiator, resulting in improved cooling, (especially when moving forward,at the cost of increased complexity, weight, and vulnerability. Coolant lines can be automatically or manually sealed off in case of a breach.

Where a single, large cooling surface would normally be, this NC has heavy-duty weapon mounts instead, allowing it to carry bulky armaments or industrial equipment on its back. Cammy has permanently affixed two jet engines here, reducing the total number of weapon slots in exchange for the ability to boost forward at high speeds to intercept, outrun, or break through enemy formations. As of version 1.5, the engine placement has been slightly lowered, (by eliminating the mounts,) and tucked in closer to the NC's body for greater stability. Moving the engines also necessitated the addition of a skirt-like heat shield made of hinged metal plates, to protect the backside of its legs from jet blast. These and the completion of its heraldry are the largest visual differences between Raijin mk 1.0 and its current iteration.

Capabilities:As it stands, 2471-8 has the highest ground speed of its batch, and highest ground-based agility, able to accelerate and stop on a dime and make rapid changes in direction, even on uneven terrain. However, this is mostly due to Cammy's tendency to operate the NC as if it is a quadrupedal animal. When standing on two legs, Raijin's unnaturally long arms and top-heavy armament make the unit rather unwieldy. Its physical strength is also mid-tier or slightly above, but the added leverage and elasticity of its arms allows it to hit harder than most and provides greater reach in melee range. However, Raijin's weakest armor is on its belly, which is also where its radiators are concentrated, so rising on two legs to engage in hand-to-hand combat is not advised.

Raijin is considered a medium-weight and medium-sized NC, but is capable of mounting and using weaponry typically found on heavyweights. While its lower stance reduces its visual cross-section and allows it to lob artillery from concealment, the jet engines severely hurt its thermal profile. Until more thermally-efficient units can be procured, NC 2471-8 will continue to look like a shining beacon on infrared, especially after running its engines at full afterburner. They can take many minutes to cool down. Pods for launching flares have been affixed to the unit as a stop-gap solution, to trick heat-seeking missiles, but guided armaments will continue to be a major threat until cooler-burning engines can be found.

Although it is rarely utilized in a combat context, 2471-8's highly dexterous fingers allow it to perform field-repairs of allied units, salvage equipment from the battlefield, or simply engage in manual labor requiring precision. It is not uncommon for Raijin to be used around the base, to perform work too delicate for large cranes or forklifts. This is both good practice for its pilot and good for morale, performing tasks that most would consider too "low brow" for a multi-million dollar war machine... as well as providing a little extra income on the side. In battle, its claw-like appendages allow the NC to dig into solid rock to anchor itself when firing an artillery barrage and can even scale vertical walls, assuming the rock face is strong enough to support its weight.

2471-8 was recently fitted with an upgraded suite of microprocessors, provided by veteran Linker Rosa Slyidina, enhancing its targeting potential. However, the NC does not yet have any "smart" weapons to take full advantage of it. An AR overlay allows the NC to roughly approximate firing solutions for its artillery, but accuracy is still mostly dependent on the pilot.

Limitations:2471-8's greatest weakpoint is its cooling setup. Its eight radiators provide greater cooling than most NCs, but they are situated on its abdomen and sides, just under the cockpit hatch, which leaves them exposed if it stands upright. The coolant passages are compartmentalized, allowing a leaking or damaged radiator to be sealed off to prevent the system from "bleeding out." Raijin can continue to fight with six of them, but having only four or five will severely limit its reactor output. Less than four leaves just enough cooling to limp back to base and less than two is grounds for an immediate shutdown to avoid a reactor meltdown.

To distribute weight and avoid the risk of a catastrophic fire/explosion, the NC's jet engines do not have centralized fuel tanks or cells. Instead, the fuel is constantly circulated through lines which run parallel to (and, in some places, coil around,) its coolant passages, acting as a secondary thermal layer. This not only disperses the weight of the fuel and avoids the obvious danger of carrying a huge tank, but aids the NC's ability to cool itself by evening out any potential hot spots. While this might seem like a clever solution, it means that if there is an overheating event or the reactor is pushed to its limits, the fuel can boil, reducing the engines' output and efficiency. It also means that, as the jet engines consume their fuel supply, the NC gradually loses this extra cooling.

While 2471-8's highly dexterous arms and fingers offer unique usage, they are also uniquely unsuited to traditional weapon-handling. The NC's multiple joints make it difficult to "lock in" a firing solution or stabilize powerful weaponry. Despite having a somewhat above-average grip strength, 2471-8 has a tendency to limp-wrist when using automatic weapons or anything with severe kickback, not to mention its long fingers just aren't suited to gripping normal weaponry and gun stocks and grips just don't fit it lanky arms. However, if accuracy is not required, the NC can still manage to squeeze off shots; 2471-8 could potentially see usage as a shotgunner or "spray-and-pray" style.

Aesthetics:2471-8 is an average-height, medium-weight NC. Its shoulders are slightly broader than NCs of a similar size, with bulging round pauldrons. This, along with its long arms, claw-like fingers, and tendency to travel on all fours, gives the NC a gorilla-like profile and gait. Its waist has what looks like a "utility belt" of eight rectangular radiators, to replace the single large radiator found on most NCs' backpack. Instead, its backpack is very flat, like a solid slab of steel, for mounting heavy weapons or cargo. About halfway down its backpack are two jet engines, permanently affixed, mounted far apart, close to the outer edges. Their thrust cones sit just above, and slightly outward of, the NC's native thrusters. A short skirt made of overlapping, steel plates hangs over its posterior, protecting the backs of its legs from jet blast, as well as offering some rudimentary protection from rearward attacks. Under this skirt are two heavy-duty industrial winches, clearly added as an afterthought, and usually not visible.

2471-8's legs are fairly standard, but its feet are tipped with welded steel claws, for added traction. Inboard and slightly forward of the jet engines, it typically has two artillery cannons, with their muzzles protruding beyond the NC's head, which has two large air intakes, fashioned to look like cat ears. A third, unused weapon mount sits in a valley between the jet engines. 2471-8's cockpit sits in the upper torso, with a hatch that opens upward (or downward, when the NC is on all fours). It has a center-seat "dry" cockpit design with a five-point harness and both hand- and foot-controls to supplement the neural link and provide a more analog feel, per Cammy's request. Most of the NC's computers occupy the back wall of the cockpit's protective shell and can be seen behind and below the pilot's seat, along with a small trunk containing emergency rations, a service rifle, and a mechanic's toolkit. The reactor sits below and behind the cockpit casement, while the battery banks sit above and can be accessed through a thick armored plate in the clavicle or collarbone region if service is required.

2471-8's color scheme could best be described as gunmetal, bare steel, and the beginnings of rust. There is a sharp disassociation between the parts fashioned in a proper shoppe and the parts tacked on by Cammy and her maintenance crew, who clearly prefer a "simple problems require simple solutions" approach to most things. Despite being a relatively new unit, there are scorch marks on its left side, due to an engine fire, and scratches and deep gouges in various places on its body, as well as markings and grafitti left by the crew. Everything from profanity, jokes, service notes, and silly drawings can be found on the NCs body. You could look for hours and find some new cave writings that you didn't know were there.

Innate Equipment:

A workhorse that has been utilized on various Gen Req aircraft for over half a century, the JX-455 is commonly found on supersonic bombers and heavy transports. Simple. Powerful. Enduring. What it lacks in efficiency, it makes up for in brute force. Camille's maintenance crew acquired them for relatively cheap by buying a decommissioned bomber which had four such engines, and selling the rest to recoup costs, resulting in two working engines and two nearly-complete spares. They were then fitted with bespoke thrust-vectoring nozzles and integrated into the NC's neural controls.

The JX-455's greatest weakness is its slow spool-up time and massive appetite for fuel. It was meant for large aircraft, most of whom can carry equally large amounts of fuel, so efficiency is not its strong suit. It easily has the thrust to shove around an NC, but the JX-455 was never meant to go from idle to full throttle quickly, so there is a noticeable lag in response, followed by a brutal kick in the pants when the engine finally comes alive. It's also not exactly subtle and does terrible things to Raijin's infrared signature, especially when the afterburners are active. Heat-seeking missiles won't have a hard time finding it, so a combination of flares and smart use of the terrain for cover is a must.

Raijin is currently equipped with two of these engines. They were initially mounted on its rearward hardpoints, but a catastrophic engine failure destroyed the left one, and damaged the mount so severely it had to be cut off. As of version 1.5, Raijin's engines are bolted directly to the backpack, bringing them closer to the NC's center of gravity. This makes removal a much more labor-intensive process, but the lower position makes them more stable in flight and on the ground. In its first iteration, Raijin could not use its engines while flying or hovering, because their high-mounted position would cause the NC's nose to pitch downward. This effect is still present, but greatly reduced.

Equipment Hardpoints:One of the main features of 2471-8's design is its ability to hard-mount heavy weapons. 2471-8 had four hardened weapon mounts on its backpack; two near its upper back and two more near the lower back. They are built on reinforced rails or racks, allowing them to be adjusted inboard or outboard, but not front-to-back. So both mounts can be shifted inward, allowing a single, large weapon to be 'double-mounted' in the middle, or shifted outboard to accommodate two small/medium weapons.

The two rearward mounts were used for the NC's jet engines, but an engine failure in its first sortie destroyed the left one. Rather than replace it, the jet engines are now semi-permanently affixed to the chassis, in approximately the same location, eliminating the need for mounts there. The NC's right-rear mount was shifted inward on its rails and sits unused in the middle, nestled between the engines. This leaves a total of three mounts.

A pair of 200mm artillery cannons manufactured by General Requisitions, each with its own 40-round ammo box, capable of storing two different types of ammunition. (So, 80 rounds total, and four different types.) The M-99 has been a staple of armies and navies around the world for nearly half a century, with very little change in its design. It is the go-to big gun when a 155mm howitzer just isn't enough bang for your buck. The M-99 has seen action all across the globe and numerous manufacturers produce shells of this caliber.

To cut costs, Raijin's guns are actually a much older variant of the M-99, purchased at significantly below cost, though they have been retrofitted with muzzle brakes and auto-loaders, features only found on later models. Articulating mounts allow them to be independently aimed about 15 degrees off-center, allowing them to converge fire or correct for slight misalignment. Ammo selection, loading, and aim adjustment is handled through the NC's neural link. The auto-loading mechanism is also capable of dumping a round to free a jam.

Numerous manufacturers make shells for the M-99, from simple explosive rounds to high-tech guided shells, and even nuclear ordinance. Its versatility means Raijin almost never needs to change weapons, only ammunition, and Cammy has already acquired a few types to suit her needs. She mixes and matches them based on the mission parameters:

High Explosive (HE) Shells: standard "dumb" artillery shells that go boom when they hit stuff. No fancy tech here, just frags and fury. This is probably what she'll be firing 90% of the time. Cheap enough to be spammable. Stable and reliable enough to be used at any range, even CQC. A pressure switch in the nose will detonate the round if sufficient force is applied. Cammy has discovered that throwing it can (and does) provide sufficient force, so this round can double as an explosive football, if necessary.

Armor Penetrating (AP) Round: A rocket-assisted kinetic penetrator with a depleted uranium tip. Uses gyrojet technology to further accelerate after leaving the barrel, which gives it a very long range and virtually no "bullet drop" (at least until the gyrojets run out of propellant). Has no explosive payload, but its sheer speed is devastating if given time if given time to accelerate. Its body fragments on impact, while the gyrojets shove the hardened tip through the target, allowing it to punch through, while scattering shrapnel everywhere.

Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb (FAEB): An incendiary bomb. Tiny winglets deploy mid-flight and put a spin on the shell, giving it respectable range, despite traveling at much slower speeds. (It is definitely a "wait for it..." type of munition, but the payoff is highly satisfying.) A proximity fuse causes it to release a cloud of flammable gas en route to the target, which then ignites, blanketing a wide area in fire. Extremely effective against personnel, light vehicles, and aircraft. Possibly a war crime in some jurisdictions. Because the gas and ignition are on a timed fuse, it can be thrown or placed and still produce the same effect... but getting out of range of the resulting inferno becomes significantly more difficult.

Multi-Munition Hive Round (MM-HR): Designed to be fired in an upward arc, the MMHR separates into multiple canisters near the peak of its flight. On their way down, these canisters then separate into multiple bomblets, which rain down or air-burst. The most expensive round in Cammy's arsenal, but is actually cheaper than most cluster-style munitions, due to its large spread and lack of smart technology. Has more bomblets than propellant and, thus, doesn't fly anywhere near as far as it should. The MMHR is commonly referred to as the "Clusterfuck," "Chaos in a Can," "Hell in a Shell," or other unsavory names due to its tendency to rain bomblets on the user if you don't GTFO immediately after launching it.

Additional:

A pair of 80,000-pound winches, attached to the NC's waist, tucked beneath the jet blast shield. These are primarily for anchoring the NC when conducting engine tests, but could potentially be used to drag salvage or recover vehicles... or recover Raijin itself.
Clusters of chaff and Flare launchers bolted to its pauldrons.

Handler Character Sheet

Full Name: Dr. Elena Francesca Halliwell

Age: 41

History:Elena Francesca Halliwell was born in the rich suburban burrows of Neo Paris, France, and raised in the lap of luxury. She could have easily fallen back on her family's extreme wealth and done little or nothing with her life. But, even from a young age, she took a keen interest in how those less fortunate than herself live, particularly the surface-dwellers, nomads, scavengers, wastelanders, and the soldiers who fight the various corporate wars. She initially dreamed of becoming a doctor and joining aid missions, but transitioned into psychology instead and currently holds a Master's degree in that field, as well as psychiatry. She has written for numerous academic journals and her work with PTSD and mental health among soldiers and the impoverished caught the attention of a ruling corp, which later put her on MAVERICK's radar. She has been serving as a handler and consultant for over a decade now, with a reputation for representing difficult clients.

Personality:Graceful, poised, classy. In a word, "disciplined." Halliwell is highly intelligent and coolly confident in her abilities, but without the arrogance or aggressiveness that often accompanies such things. She is always in complete control of herself --steady, even when everything else is going to shit-- which can definitely rub people the wrong way. She has a way of nudging events in the direction she wants them to go, without arguing, raising her voice, or appearing to do anything at all. Her subtle, silent approach to most problems often leaves even her own clients in the dark until the plan comes together, which can be infuriating if an element of trust isn't established beforehand. Her philosophy is, 'if you know I'm doing something, I'm probably doing it wrong.'

Unfortunately, her methodical nature means she doesn't take risks and only plays the games she knows she can win. Surprise offers and unknown variables are almost guaranteed to get a hard 'no' from her, which can mean missed opportunities for her clients. She always has at least one plan in motion, but rarely moves fast. And, despite being well-intentioned, she has garnered a reputation for being manipulative and overly controlling, to which she would argue, 'well, isn't that what a handler is supposed to be?' It's a dog eat dog world and Halliwell does everything within her power to ensure her dogs eat well.

Skills:Halliwell's greatest skill is her ability to read people and communicate. She has the rare gift of not only knowing what to say, how to say it, and how to look while saying it, but also when to shut up and let silence do the work for her, which makes her a dangerous negotiator. To her, image is everything, and she excels at promoting her clients, getting their name out there, covering up minor scandals, and putting the right spin on their failures and misadventures. Never enters a meeting unprepared. She understands the importance of aesthetics, body language, and non-verbal communication so much that she has often been accused of mentalism or reading minds.

Her greatest weakness is her lack of technical knowledge about NCs and combat in general. Although she has studied warfare and tactics, it is clearly not a subject that interests her. Her job, as she sees it, is to get her clients noticed on the battlefield, get them paid as much as possible, and get the next job lined up. What they do once the bullets start flying is their problem. She also has some medical background and can stitch someone up in an emergency, though she is more likely to call a professional if one is even remotely available.

Appearance:Distracting, without actually trying to be. 5'8" with a slender, yet voluptuous build. Hourglass figure, well-endowed where it counts, but trim where it doesn't. Difficult to ignore, from any angle. Blue eyes. Naturally blonde, though it is usually dyed black. She is very aware of the effect she has on the opposite sex, but never really attempts to weaponize it... which probably makes the effect that much more potent. There are numerous rumors that she is either the product of some extremely well-done gene therapy... or some kind of sexy android from the future. Looks younger than she is; most would guess late 20s or early 30s, but they'd be about a decade off the mark.

Her attire would be described as 'high-end corporate casual' when working or 'retro-chic' when she's not, with small embellishments that draw eyes where she wants them, and shows some fashion sense, without making an overt statement. Won't be caught dead in a t-shirt or shorts or yoga pants. Never looks like "I just threw this on." Her color scheme is often monochrome, with a single accent color, usually red, strategically placed to pop. She speaks with a very light, almost imperceptible French accent, which becomes more pronounced when she is angered or emotional.

Misc:

Fluent in English, French, German, and Spanish, and capable of minor discourse ("hello," "goodbye," "my name is..." etc) in about half a dozen other languages.
Her family runs a large biotech and genetics company, HalliGen Inc, yet she seems to distance herself from any involvement with it.
Is rumored to have multiple ex-husbands. Doesn't like to represent male Linkers. These two things definitely aren't related to one another.

Windsock · Mar 12, 2020

This space is currently unused, but will be re-worked for notable individuals from the world at large. Please be patient as the GM works.

Aldur · May 19, 2020

Full Name: Hadrian “Butcher” Fosse

Age: 43

History:

The life of a butcher’s son doesn’t lend itself to many opportunities. Even as one of four children, Hadrian did not get to explore possibilities outside of his father’s career at first. By all means, more children mean more hands on cleavers. It wasn’t a profession that was in the Fosse family repertoire for many generations. Hadrian’s grandfather was the first one to don the apron, but he wasn’t the first one to get his hands dirty. Before meat hooks and butcher’s knives became the primary tool by which the Fosses plied their trade, their hands rested on grips and their fingers pulled on triggers. The walls of his family home had been decorated with medals and trinkets of wars long forgotten, fought by men who Hadrian grew up to idolize and then condemn.
Hadrian found that handling a rifle came to him quicker than handling a cleaver after he left for the army. There wasn’t much resistance coming from his parents once he made his plans clear. He was going to revive the old tradition.

When he joined the army, Hadrian expected no less than what he was given. Orders. Whether barked at him by superiors or sent through well-written and concise letters or through the cold screen of some high-tech terminal. Hadrian obeyed. Hell, you don’t lose an eye for a country you wouldn’t love serving. However, it took one eye for the other to open wide. First, he obeyed without question, then, as the years passed and his attitude changed, with silent distaste. Naturally, you don’t develop distaste without having experienced your fair share of bad meals. The steaks would rot, however, later in his career, when Hadrian was given a privileged position where he was becoming aware of dealings from behind the scenes. Dealings with which he found himself at odds with. As it stood then, the military would target communities which acted as safe havens for wanted high-profile targets, betting on their independence. This would, however, be futile as classified operations were conducted. These operations had the nasty habit of leaving massacres behind, massacres which the military could cover up with ease.

Hadrian confronted his superiors about these operations and was reprimanded for his blunt ways. He threatened to declassify these operations. This did not bode well with them and answered his threat with another. Hadrian would be honorably discharged and forced to keep his mouth shut, lest the cleaver not cut meat, but human flesh.

He left with a grudge and a chip on his shoulder. The following years, Hadrian went in and out of various mercenary groups, often leaving because of the moral aspect. After all, the money often outweighed the moral outcomes. Before giving up, he promised himself he'd at least apply for the MAVERICK recruitment program. After all, he was curious about big mechs and he figured it wouldn't hurt. Hadrian went in expecting to get rejected and then return back to his family, severing the military ties and snuffing out the old flame. Who would need a jaded soldier, anyway?

Much to his surprise, he qualified and would eventually be able to not only pilot, but carry out missions in a Neural Combatant. Jaded or not, this soldier won't finish his tour just yet.

Personality: Hadrian handles the social interactions in a straight-forward that is very reminiscent of his military training. However, he tends to play up the strong, silent type a bit too much. Ever since he left the army, Mr. Fosse has been awfully quiet. It's not unusual for others to count the number of sentences he utters in a day on just one hand. He's not awfully talkative, but he has his reasons, good reasons, he thinks. Small price to pay, he thinks. Hadrian's thoughts usually stay very well hidden inside of his noggin and manifest themselves outwardly as brooding. Sometimes, if one pays attention, one might notice the varied yet subtle expression shifts on Hadrian's face. Despite what one might think, Hadrian is quiet not because his mind is empty, but because it is full. Besides, if he needs anyone's opinion he'll ask.

Furthermore, Hadrian might be a somewhat difficult person to warm up to because of his near-muteness. He might even outright ignore when others address him, especially when they address him indirectly, but he ultimately lets his thoughts known when appropriate. This might put off civilians, or even personnel who don't personally know him.

Personal Skills: Hadrian is a great shot with many kinds of firearms. He's won the admiration of several officers back in the army. Whenever he and his colleagues went to the range, they'd make small bets on how many magazines Hadrian could empty into a target, even with a pistol.

Having his dominant eye taken from him violently in the past, Hadrian needed to rewire his brain into using what was left. His left eye. This prompted Hadrian to get comfortable with using his left arm as well, making him ambidextrous.

Due to his constant brooding and overt silence, Hadrian's become well versed in reading situations and people. He pays a lot of attention to the events unfolding before him, choosing to analyze and wait for his opportunity.

Hadrian hasn't told anyone this, but he developed an interest for dancing in his teens, just before he had the call of duty. He doesn't actively practice anymore, but once you waltz into it, you never stop.

Linker Skills: When Hadrian first set foot in a Neural Combatant it was like trying on a new pair of running shoes. It didn't take long before he could run miles in them regularly. This translates into Hadrian's almost uncanny ability to pilot his NC like his brain pilots his hands. Given a few hours of practice, Hadrian could probably star in a modern rendition of Footlose, starring 2471s.

In the field, Hadrian also realized he has a knack for finding hidey holes. How exactly do you hide a contraption that often strives to reach for the stars? Hadrian would say that you need the right modifications and at least one good eye. The mods let you crouch just low enough and the eye spots the just high enough cover.

Since Hadrian is ambidextrous by necessity, he finds it easier than most to "dual-wield" when in his NC even without years of training. He prefers, however, the feel of one rifle in both hands, so he reserves it for the propaganda posters or bets.

Appearance: Hadrian is a cyclops, wearing an eye-patch like a stubby legged pirate from really, really old movies. His remaining eye mirrors the sky's bright blue color. He's 6'2" and looks like he could bench-press his own body weight at least for a full set. Aside from that, he keeps his hair just a tad longer than the army standard, because he likes the way it looks in the mirror, gives him a rugged look. He also sports a scruffy beard, although it's just styled enough to not make him look like a hobo. Same color as his hair, muddy brown.

Hadrian likes Olive Drab. Everything from cargo pants to his old service jacket and a dozen t-shirts he has lying around so it looks like he hasn't changed his t-shirt in months. Although he would never wear a full suit of OD unless he rocked his overalls. Hadrian doesn't complicate his attires too much. He's found out simplicity suits him better in his 40 something years. His t-shirts don't have any logos or cool art on them and his jackets lack highlights. His jeans are never torn or distressed and his shoes are often clean, unless he's returned from the running tracks. However, like a proper older fellow, Hadrian has recently found an appreciation for Cuban shirts, or guayabera. Despite being rather pricey when compared to other shirts of the same quality, he has 3 shirts which he wears on different occasions.

Misc: Hadrian quit smoking cigarettes sometime after he enrolled in the army. Although he no longer smokes those, he sometimes enjoys a fine cigar, often flavored. What flavor? Not one in particular since he likes to experiment, but he thoroughly enjoys the cherry flavor more than the others.

Production/ID Number: GR 2471-1

Name: Janus-1

Emblem/Heraldry: Janus-1
The emblem present on Janus is a chiaroscuro representation of a skull sporting a triangular symbol on its head with the NC's pilot-designated name under it. The reverse triangle is composed of three yellow lines which do not meet. If asked, Hadrian will tell you that the reverse triangle is an upside down aiming reticle. It's a 14.5 MOA reticle his DeltaPoint Pro Mk.3 sight displayed on his favorite rifle. It's upside down because he's no longer in the military.

Historical Record: GR 2471-1 is the first in line of 2471s and also, the oldest of the bunch and obviously the standard by which its peers were built. The first model enjoyed the most attention in its development, seeing as it was the introduction to the production line of 2471s. Since #1 enjoyed the most attention its growth rate had been longer than the rest. The pseudo-cells cultures had the time to adjust and mold into its proper shape, resulting in a balanced build. Since #1 had no distinguishing features like its peers later developed, it was in need of modification so as to accommodate for the pilot's preferences and experiences.

#1 entered personal modifications fresh off the assembly lines, culminating in an unusual appearance by the end of that process.

Janus-1 is the longest running NC to survive without a proper head.

Construction: Janus-1 does not have a head in the traditional sense. Where its head ought to be lies an armored protrusion containing two high definition cameras with integrated thermographic and IR observation modes. It also features two antennas to make up for the lack of observational capacity due to its inability to move its head and they double as a long range communication system that allows the pilot to relay information from afar. Be it the baddies' HQ or the next state over.

Because of this modification, Janus is typically shorter than your average 2471 model standing at roughly 14 meters.

Furthermore its legs had been modified to feature a reverse joint at the knee, allowing the NC greater stability when wielding higher firepower. Janus is, however, not a glass cannon, as maintenance or even replacement would be costly, it includes a thicker armor and a broader "barrel" chest. This impairs Janus' flight capabilities, but this is also mildly mitigated, since the configuration of his legs allows for enhanced leaps.

Hadrian often lovingly refers to Janus-1 as "a tank on legs" as it more closely resembles retro-futuristic western interpretations of a mecha warrior than its peers.

Capabilities: The modified leg system allows for better stabilization and recoil management. The targeting systems are basic, allowing the Linker the most amount of freedom when aiming weapons, but otherwise features an ordinance "clairvoyance" system, allowing for accurate prediction of grenade trajectory. The static head model features two "eye" cameras with multiple modes of observation. An armored collar protects the sides and back of the head and partially covering the antennas.

The Janus-1 model is not stronger than the strongest NC nor the weakest of the bunch. It runs on a relatively balanced framework, which has been specialized by its Linker, Hadrian.

Limitations: The solid-head model is unable to actually move its head, meaning it has to rely largely on non-visual cues to analyze its surroundings. Speaking of, the antennas responsible for non-visual observational aid are a weak spot, meaning that they could be taken out and Janus' spatial awareness is impaired. Effectively, he cannot see without turning his body around. They're also a chore to maintain, which Hadrian does himself.

Furthermore, its unconventional construction and weight of the armor makes Janus hard to keep in the air with the flight module, which is why Hadrian relies on Janus' "frog" leaps.

Aesthetics: The #1 NC unit is sports an avant garde look compared to the others. When it came fresh off the assembly line, Janus resembled the average model of its series, but afterwards suffered through Hadrian's idea of a good design. Its head's been replaced with a static protrusion and its legs were refitted to have a reverse joint in the knees. This along with its barrel chested torso makes Janus look very much like a "tank on wheels". Its arms and legs are boxy, and it features shoulder pads for protection. Its left shoulder pad wears the striking "JANUS-1" emblem.

The thrust outputs are outfitted to the back of its hip area and behind the shoulders on the back. Between the thrust modules on the back lays the reactor, made to look like a small backpack with the battery banks double-stacked under it.

Innate Equipment:Mounted on top of his left shoulder is a "grenade" propeller with adjustable trajectory, firing 300 mm rounds. This is the only weapon that makes use of more advanced targeting systems. It is also magazine-fed, which means it can easily switch between different grenade types.

Equipment Hardpoints: Janus-1 doesn't have many mounting spaces, with the one of the two being outfitted on its right leg and serves as a holster for the Cleaver Handgun. The second mount is on the left leg and goes along the leg, stopping above the knee. This mounting space allows for comfortable placement and carrying of the Auto-Cannon. It is also worth mentioning that Janus has a magazine mount on it right triceps which facilitates the use of the Auto-Cannon.

Additional: N/A

Name: "The Janus Special"

Type: Three Barreled Rotary Auto-Cannon

Capabilities: Rapid and consistent firing of 150mm ammunition, with an adjustable fire rate ranging between 3,500 and 6,000 RPM. This functions as Janus' primary weapon.

Appearance: It's an oversized minigun with only three barrels and a covered magazine belt linked to a larger drum mag mounted on its right triceps.

Name: 100 BMG "Cleaver" Heavy Handgun

Type: Handgun

Capabilities: This is Janus' sidearm, featuring "rifle" 100mm caliber armor piercing rounds. The ammunition comes packed in 12-round magazines.

Appearance: The 100 BMG heavy handgun is an upscaled replica of the .50 AE Handcannon outfitted for humans. This particular model sports an anodized crimson finish that gives a nice shine in the sunlight, which is why it's holstered and glints only when revealed.

Full Name: Richard "Knight Rider" Knight

Age: 34

History:Richard grew up in a community near a burrow in what used to be Houston, Texas. A lot of his childhood was spent on his dad's decently sized ranch. Although he liked it there, Richard felt he needed more growing up. Having trained with his father's guns, Richard was a good shot and when he came of age he signed a contract with a private security firm out of Nevada. Since he was their only son, his parents disagreed with his intentions. Before he left, he had a falling out with his father that resulted in a few exceptionally harsh words being exchanged. What's worse, Richard promised to never return, which upset his mother greatly.

Coincidentally, the security firm he had been working at is where he eventually met Hadrian. A few years later, after an incident that cost him his leg, Richard left together with Hadrian and promised that if Hadrian would get to be a Linker, Richard would be his Handler. The incident happened during a bust went wrong. Richard and Hadrian's team stacked on top of a door leading to a hideout. They breached a door, but before they could enter one of the combatants lobbed a grenade at their feet. They scrambled to get out of the way, but Richard wasn't quick enough. The way he sees it, Richard's lucky to still be around. Luckily, he managed to become proficient with his prosthetic rather quickly.

Now he's handling for Hadrian and is happily married with two children. Hadrian's both the best man and his children's godfather. He's visited his parents twice since he left the security firm. To his surprise, his parents were more than happy to see him when he returned.
Personality:Richard's best descriptor is "easy-going". Ever since he's walking with a limp, he's made it his life goal to take it as easy as he can, not spending much time dwelling on things. He's all smiles and likes to joke around. He's a lot more talkative and open in conversation and often the initiator. In a way, he's the Yang to Hadrian's Yin. Both are pretty mellow, but Richard's an open book, while Hadrian likes to keep people guessing.
Personal Skills:Richard is a pretty good marksman, almost as good a shot as Hadrian. They've made it a ritual to hit the range together at least once a week and have a friendly competition each time. Growing up on a ranch, Richard is also a formidable horse rider and can catch a bull with a lasso from 10 yards away. Furthermore, Richard can manage his liquor. Enough that he sees it fit to write it down on his resume. He's pretty sure his body doesn't even register beer as an alcoholic drink and has drank Hadrian under the table on quite a few occasions.

Since he's hopped along for the Maverick ride, Richard has also gotten into tinkering with electronics and machinery, which means Hadrian often calls when performing maintenance on Janus-1.
Appearance:Richard's style is a little more rough around the edges with the exception of a perfectly groomed stubble. He thinks his current look gives him a more rugged look and as long as his wife's happy with it, he's just as happy. Recently, he's noticed a bit of a beer belly forming, so he's joined Hadrian at the local gym. He's noticed some pretty good gains recently and he couldn't be more pleased. His hair's a darker shade of brown and his eye color is hazel. As for his taste in clothes, Richard is a bit more hip than Hadrian and prefers a more official look. Where Hadrian goes for Cuban shirts, Richard often goes for a sharper shirt and blazer combo. He also has a collection of about two dozen ties, each with a different pattern and likes to spoil himself with proper vests. As for the casual looks, he prefers tasteful V-necks and a leather jacket.

Misc:
Richard has a noticeable southern drawl. He also has a Bloodhound Lab mix named Hercule, whom he personally trained to detect drugs, for shits and giggles.

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