Hanako Moriyama

Rael

19

Female

Hanako imagines herself as a more confident version of herself, with more flare and assertiveness — a fact that translated to her subconsciousness and her appearance in the world of Pariah. Whilst she still maintains the same petite frame, reddish brown hair and brown eyes, Hanako lacks the visual impairments of her real world appearance with no suggestions that away from Pariah she is nearly blind without corrective eyewear. Her hair is woven in a loose ponytail strung by a simple black linen band and her general appearance is not so flashy it is impractical with a dark red coat, white tunic, white leggings, and dark red boots. Many jokes have pegged Hanako’s avatar, Rael, for her preference of the color red; some of which that she has found endearing.

As her choice in fraternity may imply; Hanako’s personality, even when in character as Rael, is determined by self-interest and voracity.

As the product of a sheltered upbringing, Hanako hasn’t really had many opportunities to be socially adept especially considering the enormous shadow of her incredibly renowned and wealthy parents who coincidently were also immensely overprotective. Her father insisted on private schooling and strict regulations for socialization for the majority of her life and her mother saw their reputation as too dangerous for Hanako to have a life in the public sector so as a byproduct Hanako gathered few friends and fewer social experience. To describe her as “socially awkward” would not be entirely inaccurate; but within such social ineptitude Hanako ended up directing her emotional and mental energy into creative outlets such as video games, short stories, and augmented simulators and such efforts would eventually become immensely valuable.

It was through virtual social networking where Hanako felt like she could finally be social, and away from the eyes from her parents she could take her time away from her studies and finally act how she wanted to; and away from the expectations, rules, and restrictions she felt she could be herself without any filter to speak of. However such freedom could be seen as anarchic given as soon as Hanako immersed herself in the world of Pariah she chose quite possibly the most self-serving faction of the choices available: Draethir. In combination with that fact and her fanatical stance of being an “avid roleplayer” this has created a personality that represents Hanako’s avatar, Rael, as one who is an opportunist who while not unwilling to work with others is still all very cynical, greedy, loud, and arrogant.

As such in the world of Pariah, Rael is a wildcard and is notorious for that fact.

Hanako Moriyama was born to an affluent family within the Tokyo Prefecture in Japan in 2094 CE, situated to be the prospective heir of the family’s wealth and legacy.

As a child, Hanako had few friends, a fact that led to her social anxieties and ineptitude regarding interaction due to the steadfast efforts of her parents to protect their interests by isolating their daughter from the public sector of life as much as they possibly could to minimize any potential defamatory gossip or public embarrassment to occur. This would not change as Hanako moved through adolescence, a fact that would often make Hanako feel claustrophobic, restricted, and inconvenienced. Within that childhood, Hanako found herself able to be creative and inspired despite lacking a lot of time in-between schooling, family expectations, and the few friends she spent trying to understand by socializing with. This creativity would lead to a variety of short stories and an interest in video games.

By the time of 2112 CE and Pariah’s launch, Hanako’s wealth allowed her easy access to the module and the rest is history.

Rael is a name that has been one with the community of Pariah since the beginning of the immergence crisis where a variety of new residents came to settle within the confines of the realm from parts unknown. In the time since said crisis Rael has earned a reputation that is equal parts renown and infamy, a fact that has been a result of Rael’s arrogant brand of individualism, profession, ethics, and her record on not entirely playing well with other residents of the realm. However, this has not made issue with the fraternity that fostered her as the denizens of Draethir consider her living proudly by their pathos.

For those who are not denizens of Draethir or are disconnected with the socio-politics of the world at large, Rael is an arrogant opportunist who has connections to the illegal markets and their brokers. It is with this connection that led Rael to her current profession, that of a collector.

Serving as a middleman and agent of the illegal markets and their buyers, Rael has often been utilized as a purveyor of niche, exotic, and esoteric needs due to her skillful scavenging and looting of instances across the known territories; things such as lost artifacts, rare poultices, noteworthy items, and uncommon goods serve as Rael’s “specialty” and when tasking a dungeoneering group is too costly Rael’s services are usually acquisitioned. This can extend to her looting adventurer corpses before a cleric restores them, or even serving as a plant inside an adventuring party to swipe an item or three. Rael’s sense of guile and wit has often kept her alive in many instances.

Depending who you ask Rael can be seen as an expert in dungeoneering, a untrustworthy thief, a shrewd profiteer who works for the illegal markets, or a hardy combat rogue who is experienced with poisons.

Tank

Draethir

Collector

Spear

Lightning
Enhancement

Acrobatic Reflexes: In addition to her abilities as an evasive combatant, Rael is uncanny with her movement around an enemy thus making it exponentially more difficult to strike her or maintain a full threat assessment of her party given her tendency to jump, weave, and duck in the midst of battle. This benchmark has given her increased polish to her dodging abilities.

Dirty Fighter: Rael has always incorporated cunning into her attacks and using the environment against monsters and even resident opponents in duels. After doing this consistently for an amount of time she has found herself good at analyzing the environment for utility in battle whether it is a section of dirt, loose rocks, or weakened building supports. This has earned her a passive increase to temporarily immobilize her enemies.

Duelist’s Ethos: Rael is not a tank who blocks but there comes a time where she needs to meet an opponent’s weapon over simply dodging. However, instead of blocking Rael chooses to misdirect and counter instead; using her spear to shift an enemy’s weapon to the left or right instead of taking the brunt force of its blow. As such precision-based techniques in clutch situations come easier to her.

Evasive Combatant: As a tank who doesn’t bear heavy armor or extensive enchantments, Rael has had to take a different approach to combat; after conditioning herself to be faster than most of her peers she has achieved an agile and dynamic skillset that allows her to perceive things quicker and react in kind.

Provocative Presence: Intending to keep the attention of their enemies away from their allies, the rogue-like user has proven to constantly shift the attention of their enemy to focus on them by being agile and persistent. Due to this Rael has found herself emitting an inherent aura when in the heat of battle that attracts the attention of dangerous foes even when in the company of more dangerous allies that should be prioritized.

Decadent Dungeoneer: Dungeons are dangerous places in Pariah full of monsters, traps, and great treasures. After some time exploring and plundering these ruins and crypts Rael has found herself quite adept at pinpointing the best way to circumnavigate the dangers of their contents.

Herbal Savant: For toxicologists and alchemists, herbalism is the key to understanding the world; for Rael she just rather know if a field of flowers are toxic, carnivorous, or a non-issue and while she has little interest in making potions, she does find the creation of poisons a bit more apt to her interests. As such Rael has a basic fundamental knowledge of the common and uncommon variants of herbs that grow throughout the world.

Prudent Profiteer: After extensive trading through “alternative” channels consistently, Rael has made enough of a mark on the black market to know how to maximize her profits, seek valuable items, and barter efficiently with dubious vendors.

Scrupulous Scavenger: If there is an item that is worth having it tends to be one from the many dungeons, crypts, ruins, and caverns in the world and Rael has shown that she is adept in the procurement of key items. Coupled with her abilities to plunder in these instances she can spot items quickly and pocket them without issue. Knowing the value of items is key.

Venomous Apprentice: The study of poisons is fundamentally to manipulating your opponent in the long term and Rael knows it. Whilst she has not put countless of months into the creation of poisons and other toxins, she has put some time into it and thus can create decent grades of the craft with some competency.

Andrew Matthews Gray

Graves

23

Male

Andrew's defining trait is his height. Measuring in at six feet and four inches tall, he naturally draws in the eye with his towering stature. His appearance is made all the more striking by just how thin his frame is. Gray can't count the number of times he's heard the 'how's the weather up there?' line, though he knows he gets it almost as much as the 'do you play basketball?' question. He finds it all to be more obnoxious than anything else- but the same can't be said for his weight. Lacking any muscle at all, Andrew's incredibly self conscious about just how thin he is. No one wants to appear weak.

That's where he and his avatar in Pariah differ.

While Graves and Andrew share equal height, his in-game persona possesses a far larger frame. A chest as broad as an ox and muscle like coiled iron, Graves is a force to be reckoned with. The imagined character was designed to compensate for it's designer's perceived flaws, granting Gray the physical strength he's only ever dreamed of wielding.

Other differences are more aesthetic in their reasoning. Andrew abandoned his painfully average dark hair in favor of a brighter, sleeker silver. It's equally as long, and often kept up in the same messy ponytail that Andrew has grown so accustomed to both in and out of game. His eyes remain the same shade of blue, though they're a great deal sharper and more confident when he's Graves, the legendary bounty hunter rather than Andrew, the gas station clerk.

Graves is everything that Andrew is not. Where Andrew is meek and quiet, Graves is confident and boisterous.

He is without inhibitions; unconstrained by societal norms or fear of reprisal from others. Graves does whatever he wishes and anyone that doesn't follow him can either get the hell out of his way or be ran over. Many consider this behavior to be destructive and backwards. His abrasive bluntness catches many off guard, and has on more than one occasion gotten Graves into a fight with someone who didn't wish to deal with his arrogance.

In his actual life, Andrew despises confrontation. In game, he thrives on it. Combat is visceral, and it allows him to live out every power fantasy he's ever craved. To be strong, to be confident, to have a place in the world. All of the pent up aggression and hostility that Gray has internalized for so long can be released in an act of savage violence.

He has little time to service others, caring for himself above all else. Graves doesn't waste time helping those who cannot offer him something in return. With an endless world of possibilities at his fingertips, there's far too much to do in Pariah to lose even an hour on something he cares little for. Someone else will come along to help; they always do.

One trait that Andrew shares with his counterpart is his love of solitude. Though Pariah is meant to be a shared experience, Graves spends much of it wandering the expansive environments alone. Companions slow him down. Party members falter and fail whenever Graves counts on them. When he's going solo, Graves doesn't have to worry about watching someone's back, and the blame for his failings can fall on his shoulders alone.

Andrew was born in a little town in Ohio to two loving parents and eight siblings. He was unlucky enough to be one of the middle children, so it was no surprise when he was overshadowed by his more talented and capable siblings.

His town was small, and his high school even smaller- which meant finding friends and penetrating the normal clichés was quite difficult for someone that had gotten used to quietly observing. Gray wasn’t exactly an introvert. He could be loud, excitable and social- but he just…never got the chance to. He didn’t have many friends at all.

That is, until he had scrounged up enough cash for his first MMO. He used his low grade laptop to play the game at its lowest settings; it was choppy, constantly lagged and rather ugly…but he loved it. He loved everything about the game. Gray retreated from his less than stellar normal life into the world of a generic role playing game. He ignored his tanking grades, few acquaintances and boisterous family to play for hours on end.

He started off grinding on his own, as most do. But he chanced upon a party of likeminded individuals that needed a secondary tank. Andrew melded seamlessly into their company. They were all chill people, for the most part, and willing to help teach him how to play the game properly.

They continued to play together for months, the size of the group ever expanding as they built up a sizable guild of their own. Andrew became near addicted to raiding. Fighting bosses was the most visceral and exciting experience he’d ever had in a game.

Eventually Andrew was (somehow) able to graduate high school and purchase a real computer. All was well for him. His family only occasionally harassed him for being a bum. He had a steady job at a backwater gas station, making minimum wage for very little work. He had made a decent circle of friends for himself within the guild. Life was simple; it was good.

Things didn't stay that way forever.

It started off as something infinitesimally small. A couple of arguments over petty issues. Andrew tried not to get involved, most of the time; he just wanted to focus on playing the game and enjoying himself. But as time passed, the arguments grew in number. They got more serious. Issues between his friends grew; problems from a past that Andrew wasn't around for reared their ugly heads. All of it was stupid and inane, in his eyes. He did his best to act as a mediator when he could, but it rarely worked.

Things came to a head when a shouting match over voice comms ended with the guild's leader- and Andrew's closest personal friend- leaving the guild in the hand's of his second. Things fell apart from there as him stepping down only furthered the divides between the others. One by one, the original group Andrew had joined left. Contact became sparse, and then they all went radio silent. This thing that had consumed Andrew's life for the better part of a few years was now gone, and there was...a void.

Andrew hadn't felt this alone in a long time. He quietly retreated further into himself. Months passed with his life being little more than keeping to himself and working a dead end job with no future in sight. It wasn't until the local game store announced that they'd received a shipment of VR headsets and were planning to hold a giveaway to celebrate that things changed for him. Andrew entered the giveaway, and he won! A copy of one of the most hyped MMOs in history came with an equally desired piece of hardware worth obscene amounts of money. Andrew didn't waste any time throwing himself into the game.

Graves is not a widely known name due to how much he keeps to himself. His infamy has been growing recently, however, among the more attentive members of the bounty hunting community. The profession is used by a large chunk of the player base; however, the few hundred or so individuals that claims to be 'professional bounty hunters' are a highly competitive and inclusive group. So when some no name young blood starts snatching up important contracts and taking down high level bosses and esteemed players, the smarter heads start to turn.

He's an above average raider that joins public groups, dominates his enemies and takes what he needs before disappearing again.

Above average at best is the highest praise Graves is deserving of. He's no professional, and he lacks the experience or gear to challenge the really big names. He isn’t ready to enter into that ring.

Yet.

He's dedicated himself to becoming the absolute strongest hunter in the game, and he's going to do it by almost any means necessary. The only thing he's wary of is teaming up with other players. He's partied up a handful of times, but never long enough to get attached- he knows where that particular road leads.

However, there are some obstacles which cannot be overcome alone. Some enemies cannot be defeated through sheer force of will and hours of scrolling through guides and wikis online. On occasion, Graves has to team up with others- usually to do bosses or gank unsuspecting targets that he can't beat alone. His temporary help always gets a 'piece of the pie' so to speak; he makes sure they get something out of the effort, even if he doesn't plan to stick around for very long.

Tank

Sikth

Bounty Hunter

A halberd he affectionately refers to as his 'pike'

Water
Transmutation

Tough Skin: Graves is naturally more durable than other non-tank characters. He doesn't wear particularly heavy armor; however, his naturally high health pool allows him to take incredible amounts of damage for a character with relatively low defense gear. The trade of for this is he's weighs a hell of a lot more than other classes, and is thus slower and can be kited by ranged or agile enemies. He gained this trait through hundreds of hours of getting the shit kicked out of him without armor on, which has led to increased durability without the need for heavy armors.

Potion Addict: Graves has been relying on potions for his tanking abilities since he started playing Pariah. After chugging down countless elixirs, his physiology has an easier time adapting to the ingested liquids. Potions last longer and are more potent on Graves than others. A small side effect being that Graves can’t function very well without them in his system. He usually carries potions for lifesteal, iron skin and healing- to make him even harder to kill.

Blood In The Water: Much like a shark, Graves gets a sort of sixth 'sense' whenever a target is bleeding. It allows him to track them within twenty five meters (doubles if he was the one that made them bleed); it's less like echo location and more like a compass that points him in their general direction. It won't reveal the exact position of a hiding enemy, nor does it tell Graves if they are above or below him- simply where they would be on a two dimensional field. Dozens of hours of trying to hunt down that last monster for his bounty hunting quest has made the tank a decent enough tracker.

Enhanced Strength: The weapons and armor used by a tank are heavy. Graves is required to have above average physical strength if he wants to use them effectively. This also means he's able to carry more (when not impeded by his regular gear) and hits slightly harder with unarmed attacks.

Executioner: Graves tends to fight harder when his enemy his on the back foot. He pushes his advantage and attempts to go for killing blows as often as possible. A slew of decapitated and mutilated foes behind him, Graves has learned how to more effectively hurt enemies that are already wounded. Enemies very close to death's door take more damage from Graves' attacks, although he also heals less off of them and takes more damage from them- so he has to be careful with certain monster types or enemies with 'deathrattles.'

Monster Bestiary: Graves has studied the average field and dungeons mobs extensively. He has a fairly good grasp on what most common enemies are capable of, what their weaknesses are, ect. More rare beasts, especially those he isn't high enough level to be fighting anyway, wouldn't apply.

Boss Bestiary: Graves is a raider at heart. He loves MMOs for the massive, titanic battles between huge parties and giant bosses. It's his favorite part of Pariah. Thus, he's invested quite a bit of time into learning some of the boss enemies in the game. The tougher, higher end leviathans that require teamwork, determination and raw power to defeat. Knowledge is power in these sort of encounters, and Graves has made sure he knows about the general workings of the bosses he's likely to face.

Meditative Healing: Since Graves' combat stance is entirely based on healing, he figured he could use an out of combat healing ability too. Essentially, Graves can sit down and focus his magic on repairing his wounds. How long it takes depends on the severity of his injuries. The stance is extremely taxing, takes awhile to start and takes forever to finish if he's hurt- and it can't heal things like broken bones or eviscerated organs. He'll need a real healer for that.

Metalworking: Required field to get to Weapons' Repair. He uses this as a source of income, creating very basic items and selling them either on the market or to NPCs. He would much rather get money from killing mobs all day and pawning off legendary raid items, but sadly working the marketplace is the only real way to get a stable source of income.

Weapons' Repair: Graves likes his Pike. It's his favorite weapon. He isn't very good with much else, and doesn't have a backup for when it breaks. So, instead of constantly paying vendors and other players to fix it for him, he decided to spec into Weapons' Repair and do the damn thing himself.

Eileen Fang

Ailanthus Altissima

32

Female

Under a dark suit of magical armor is the small, frail frame of Ailanthus Altissima. Though she could have been her ideal self, her PARIAH appearance is (other than being free of blemishes) unremarkable, normal, and bland. That is how she sees herself. She appears slightly younger than she actually is because society reminds her constantly that she hasn't matured because she's not married and still plays games. Her glasses form a very core part of her identity and followed her into PARIAH. When out of armor, she wears a white robe that acts as a closest approximation to a lab coat. She has no desire to 'stay in-character' or preserve 'immersion' for others, intentionally commissioning crafters to make her scientific- and futuristic-looking gear.

Tessa is a single, middle-aged woman whose work- and social-life has her stressed to breaking point, causing her to indulge in escapist behavior with the aid of electronic media. In some circles, she might be called an 'otaku', which would be true; while others might call her a 'fujoshi', which would be technically incorrect. High-strung and irritable, Tessa has difficulty keeping her stress from flowing into her leisure activities, and is often accused of 'spoiling the mood'. Some question why she even plays games as she has a tendency to become frustrated easily, a trait that stems from performance anxiety.

Though Tessa has difficulty enjoying a game if things don't go her way, she is addicted to the rush of things going right. Despite her thorny and at-times belligerent behavior, Tessa has a deep sense of responsibility, a need to not only pull her own weight, but to go above and beyond. However, she not only holds herself to this level of perfectionism, she expects the same from anyone unfortunate enough to be her teammate.

Urban China was all Eileen ever knew, from the robotic and highly-competitive educational system to the robotic and highly-competitive high-tech industrial work environment. She never stood out when it came to academic excellence, but she did stick her neck out just far enough to warrant being bullied and socially sabotaged by her peers. She went through life with jaded bitterness and social awkwardness.

She retreated daily to social media, illegally downloaded anime, manga, and games, becoming addicted to MMO's in particular. She was known as a rage gamer, logging on alone, joining teams of people she didn't know to participate in dungeons and other party activities. She even attempted forum RP once but only ended up arguing with others, pissing people off, and finally, rage-quitting for good.

Living in the high-tech center of ShenZhen, Eileen is an engineer in a bloated company that produces and sells cheap, barely-functional healthcare devices. Her life is a wreck and she was so caught up in securing her place in the world that her nearer relatives are now suddenly concerned that she will never get married and have kids. Her daily routine has not changed since school: wake up, wash up, commute, attend class/work, commute home, eat, leisure, sleep, repeat.

One day, the company's R&D division wanted to play with the idea of therapeutic VR, and got several PARIAH headsets for the researchers to toy around with. But due to lack of a perceivable market, the project was dropped and the headsets were put in permanent storage. Eileen asked to take one home and the lax inventory manager gave her the OK. She wasn't that interested in VR, but figured she'd give it a go. She figured that the worst that could happen was that she'd lose interest and leave it in a corner to gather dust, which it would have done anyways if she didn't take it.

Ailanthus Altissima, the scientific name for a plant commonly called the 'tree of Heaven'. It is an invasive species with the ability to clone itself through its roots in a technique called 'suckering', and is, like the mythological hydra, difficult to exterminate. It is considered a noxious weed due to the foul-smelling odor it produces. The tree also resprouts vigorously when cut, making its eradication difficult and time-consuming. In many urban areas, it has acquired the derisive nicknames of "ghetto palm", "stink tree", and "tree of Hell".

No one knows, or cares, why Dr. Eileen Fang chose this name, and most refuse to say it in full, earning Eileen the nickname 'Tessa' from Altissima. Since logging on for the first time, Tessa has been like her namesake, invading parties and raising a stink. Her initial desire had been to party up and quest with others, but her belligerence always got in the way.

Eventually, she turned her focus to enchantments, seeing a need in the community for those who only had access to crafted gear to attain gear that could compete with rare drops. While her enchantments aren't that good, properly crafted and enchanted gear at least had a fighting chance against Rares and Epics, and sometimes, a fighting chance was all some adventurers needed. Tessa found her niche, but still needed to satisfy her urge to actually adventure, so she would take enchanting commissions, find out what materials she needed for her enchantments, and then demand the ones who commissioned her to take her with them when they went to farm said materials.

Due to forcing herself into parties in this way, Tessa adopted a flexible, albeit lazy, playstyle: a confusing, semi-immobile walking disaster area, essentially claiming a large portion of the battlefield as her own and manipulating the positions of her enemies, doing some status effects and some damage, while still survivable enough to hold her own.

Tessa has not achieved fame for her enchantments; she instead draws clients by under-sellng other enchanters, a practice that has gotten her in trouble with guilds on more than one occasion.

Control Mage

Queon

Enchanter

Chains

Metal
Auras

Exile's Burden: While Tessa has always veered towards the massive damage and control effects of mages, her poor gaming skills has had her lament her chosen characters' 'squishiness' on more than one occasion. As someone who is easily abandoned by her party members, Tessa decided, for survival reasons, to wear armor that is uncharacteristic of mages. This habit, combined with her tendency to hoard loot alone and overburden her backpack at the end of missions, has led to her being surprisingly strong at carrying heavy weight. On top of that, she has enchanted her armor to feel less heavy, allowing her to move freely in heavy armor despite being a mage who is otherwise not physically strong.

Tough It Out: Tessa has pretty severe body dysphoria and believes that the body is the slave of the mind. If the body fails to obey the mind, then the body must be punished/forced until it complies. In PARIAH, she is even more dissociated from her body because it's virtual. As such, she is much more willing to put herself in harms way or try to force her body beyond its limits, such as climbing and jumping over an impassable mountain because she doesn't want to walk around it (who hasn't tried to do this in a free-roam RPG?). This has given her an innate toughness, especially when it comes to taking blows.

Artisanal Precision: As an enchanter and a perfectionist, (and Gunpla aficionado) Tessa is good at working with minute, tiny details, whether it's inserting magical gems or carving runes. She can thus enhance equipment with high-quality enchantments thanks to her constant practice of the art, and is herself completely decked out in gear she has enchanted.

Paranoid Perception: Having been abandoned and betrayed by her party members on more than one occasion, Tessa is understandably paranoid. Because of this, she has a strong awareness of escape routes, dead ends, and good ambush spots. Initially her paranoia resulted in a million false alarms, but over time she began to recognize the signs better and better. This benchmark makes it very difficult to sneak up on her or ambush her and her party.

Cock Block: When she was younger, Tessa was very socially awkward (well, she still is), and had a tendency to get in people's way, literally and figuratively. As she matured(?), she actively learned a bit better where to stand and where to walk to provide the least resistance to the flow of foot traffic. But in games, and in PARIAH in particular, Tessa has learned to use what once was sheer cluelessness as a weapon. Identifying her opponents' goals and/or targets, Tessa knows to place herself squarely in between and actively body block them, using her natural tendency to be a hindrance and a physical barrier. To her enemies, she always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Short Spell List: Tessa has restricted herself to learning only a small handful of spells, choosing to go for quality instead of quantity. As such, her familiarity with these spells runs deep, shortening her cast time, increasing the efficacy, and making it more difficult for the casting to be interrupted.

Synergistic Specialization: Tessa's main spell is telekinesis, which she applies mainly to her weapon of choice: chains. The chain links have been inscribed with runes that increase their ability to be controlled and increase their magical affinity. Most of her other spells are conducted through the chains: electricity and vibrations. She has learned how these different spell effects work with one another, allowing unique synergy and a combat style that her opponents are unfamiliar with.

Stacked Auras: Tessa also has a handful of aura spells (areas of effect centered on herself). She learned over time how to cast and maintain multiple auras simultaneously, some offensive, some defensive, making her playstyle come out: area control. This makes her a veritable bunker; difficult to approach and a safe haven for party members.

Spider's Web: Tessa's chains are usually laid out radiating from her in all directions for several meters. She has learned to be extra vigilant of what goes on in her zone of control and can differentiate friend from foe with spells that would otherwise be indiscriminate.

Kick 'Em While They're Down: Tessa doesn't get along easily with people and has been bullied for much of her life. She takes a sadistic pleasure in lashing out, in having the tables turned by becoming the bully. Delighting in 'kicking her enemies while they are down', she focused so many spells on downed, incapacitated, or otherwise helpless targets that she has developed an interesting trait: her spells do higher damage to and ignore the magic resistance of targets who have been affected by any negative state, whether slowed, taunted, rooted, frozen, stunned, etc.

Alexis Barnett

Alexander

20

Male

Alex considers himself a realist when it comes to the things that matter in life, so it´s no surprise to see that his appearance in Pariah has a lot in common with his real self, from his height and frame down to the color of his hair and eyes. His features could be described as "pleasantly average", a likely result of him wishing to not stand out and blend in. He dislikes wearing anything that restricts his movement and regularly wears comfortable merchants clothing, as it´s extravagant enough to signal his wayfarer status to others without having to adopt any of the flashy accessories everyone else seems to be so fond of. Pariah´s avatar system was keen enough to pick up on Alex´s true feelings and assign him a male body, a contrast to real life. That should be a fun thing to explain to his brother Logan. Or in his own words, "Shit."

Alexander's impatient nature and constant urge to move around are quelled to a passable level by his hobbies, but they'll gladly resurface in the event of having no good outlet at his disposal. On the other hand, it's this passion that makes Alexander so capable of reaching extreme states of focus when pouring all of his energy into something.

There is little distinction between his personality in and out of the game aside from him having swallowed his pride only a few days in. Not knowing much about video games or physical confrontation has led him to be a more open minded individual now that he's gone from being an average joe to what the gaming world considers a "newbie".

He's an extrovert with social skills that are rough around the edges from a lack of experience with human friends. Alexander isn´t the type to make a good first impression, but he is aware of his shortcomings and tries hard to make up for them. He may be rash, immature and even awkward at times, but he is still capable of being a good friend and party member. Just give him a couple of tries to get the hang of it.

Born as a daughter to a pair of parents with a laissez faire approach to life, the forests of the Canadian wilderness that surrounded Alexander´s home were where his childhood´s greatest adventures took place. It was there that the odd boy learned to read a compass before knowing how to spell it, and made better friends with animals over any of his classmates. As he grew older and his imagination waned, it transitioned into a sanctuary for him to unwind in.

Throughout his childish attempts at exploration Alexander learned to appreciate the beauty of nature, even when he wasn't actively imagining himself to be some warrior in another world along with his brother. As he grew older their interests diverged, with his brother getting hooked on videogames and him taking up an interest in carpentry and design. Sure, his brother had tried to hook him on sandbox titles as an introduction to gaming, but he had always found the controls too pesky and the materials to restrictive to properly work with. Their strong friendship was at times the only thing keeping him from chucking the controller at the television whenever his peaceful hobbies had been made virtual and complicated.

As they entered adulthood it was clear that their lives had become too different to rekindle their friendship. His brother was a successful videogame developer clinging to substance abuse and he was a freelancer that struggled to sell his wares, coming to terms with a growing resentment towards his identity. The spontaneous and suffocated pockets of time that they used to have small conversations with was all that remained of their once unbreakable bond, that is, until the fateful day in which his brother arrived at their doorstep with a smirk and a headset that probably belonged to his company.

To most, being trapped inside of a fantasy world means adventure. To Alexander, it means living the quaint and cozy life of a village craftsman. It´s not as exciting as slaying dragons, but when you´re given such an abundance of materials to work with there´s no telling how a day might end. He´s never been interested or knowledgeable in video games either, so to him it´s best if the more dangerous fights to the more experienced players. Emphasis on the more dangerous fights. Combat in such a deadly world is an inevitability, so he´s had to refine his combat skills to survive.

Alexander´s lifestyle has led to the development of a very interesting reputation. A forgettable craftsman to most players and a glorified denizen to others, not many people know of Alexander, and those that do don´t think about him often outside of business. As for the denizens, they have come to see him as "one of the good ones" in a world paranoid of its invading adventurers. Whether it's a forest or cave system that needs to be mapped out or a caravan that needs protection, Alexander has assumed the role of a jack of all trades for plenty of villages. Mostly to keep food on the table though, as crafting by itself isn't dynamic enough for him.

DPS (Ranger)

Drox

Craftsman

Bow and arrow

Alexander's weapon of choice is a perfect microcosm of the elegance and nobility that a patient, virtuous archer must always exhibit on the battlefield. Or so that's what his brother would say. Composed out of stained dark wood and adorned in several tasteful metal details, it's certainly a beautiful weapon and a testament to what amazing craftsmanship can do. The image that Alexander's design invokes is thrown out the window as soon as he sets off into battle, however.

The bow and arrow is the perfect weapon for Alexander because it's effective during moments of calm but also capable of firing ceaselessly and angrily. Alexander's fighting style is all about mercilessly concentrating on a single target and spitting out loads of heavy damage, trying his best to avoid being countered in the process. He believes that the best defense is a great offense, and doesn't see the fragility of his skillset as a concern. Why worry about running low on health when you can either run away or turn your opponent into an arrow porcupine?

Wind
Enhancement

Run away!: Alexander doesn't see the point in things like honor or courage when your actual life is on the line. That and, running around forests is what a good portion of his life has consisted of. He is able to run at incredible speeds for healthy amounts of time.

I can´t die if they don´t hit me, right?: A glaring weakness in Alexander's abilities are his lack of defensive options. Rather than feel any sort of desire to protect himself with bulky armors, he has instead opted to use his athleticism as a means of avoiding damage. Alexander is quick on his feet and landing a solid hit on him can be an absolute nightmare. His light armor further helps his evasiveness.

I've never worn glasses and I don't plan on it anytime soon: Alexander possesses a powerful sense of vision that is capable of singling out and identifying objects of interest with ease. External obstacles like weather, darkness or blinding spells have little effect on him.

I made you a birdhouse again: The urge to create is a driving force behind most of Alexander's recreational activities. His experiences in woodwork have developed him into an undeniable professional of the medium. He is talented in crafting with other materials as well, most notably leather and cloth, though not to the same lofty extent.

It's right over here: Alexander has an amazing sense of direction and it's hard for him to get lost. Whenever he visits a location its features just seem to stick to his brain with little effort, allowing him to frequently run around irresponsibly without worrying about the consequences.

Quality over... quality?: A combination of becoming frequently irritated during training and panicking on the battlefield has honed Alexander's ability to fire quickly and in a frenzy, escalating to machine gun-like bursts of arrows if he can get in a comfortable enough position.

It´s like I´m one with the forest: Spending so much time in nature both in and out of Pariah Online has molded Alexander into a well rounded visitor of the forest. Hunting, foraging and surviving in them is second nature to him.

I just have to shoot them until they're dead: Alexander's ability to concentrate and acheive a state of total focus carries over from the workshop onto the battlefield with no problem. His arrows become progressively deadlier with each successful strike when aimed at a single target as he zones in. If his focus breaks then he must start over again, however.

Phoenix heart: Alexander is capable of firing magical arrows that restore his health by draining it from his target. This ability was designed and named by his brother under the hopes that Alexander would hone it as much as possible. It has a limited amount of uses per battle.

I guess I've always been a Grandma´s boy: Doing so many small favors for the townspeople of Pariah Online has given him a nice reputation among the quainter, smaller villages of Pariah. To some of the NPCS, Alexander is known and trusted, most notably those he has traded with in the past. The elderly have take a particular liking to him as well, although that's likely just a product of his jovial and friendly looks and behavior.

Lili Sonnenfeld

Eaudenil Pelerine

Eighteen

Female

In some ways, both versions of Eaudenil are almost identical carbon copies.

Both stand at an unassuming 5'3'', with a healthy weight that corresponds to their light frame. Each version of Lili has short brown hair (albeit somewhat messy), and irises of a medium brown akin to the color of a lion or camel. Outside and inside the game Lili's skin seems free of any marking, mainly because she isn't entirely fat or muscular, but also due to that she was lucky to be free of the acne issues that troubles many around her age. Additionally, each Lili tends appear as timid as a mouse, as if she holds herself reserved due to her meek nature regarding others.

However, whilst there are similarities between each copy of Lili, there are also differences. Whereas Lili requires corrective lenses to see in the real world, in Pariah she has no need for them. Likewise, where Lili prefers more casual clothing like hoodies or shorts, the Pariah version of Lili prefers to hide under long clothing, even if she finds herself sweating to death. On top of this, Pariah Lili wears a lengthy green cloak, which is her signature item throughout any game she plays. The cloak has a secret meaning, but so far no one has managed (or bothered) to figure out what connection it might have to Lili.

Eaudenil is the embodiment of the term "meek."

Whilst Eaudenil holds her own beliefs like any other individual, she is the type to shelve her own motivations if intimidated. Her naivety is a strong factor in her personality, and that her selfless desire to help others makes Eaudenil a prime target for those who seek to rudely take advantage of a good-natured girl. Countless times has Eaudenil been played like a fiddle, only to find out she had been cheated all along at the very end. Still, Eaudenil refuses to hold a grudge against those who've spurned her for a thug–while they may have their differences–happens to still be a human being. Forgive and let go, essentially.

In addition, Eaudenil happens to be quite the sociable character online. She fears being alone (especially whenever or if she finds out the true meaning behind Pariah Online), and greatly prefers the company of others. The thought of being abandoned to die is a concept that frequently appears within her thoughts, pushing Eaudenil to deliberately seek out party members. After all, playing solo won't help Eaudenil be the hero she wants to be and allow her to help everyone she possibly can. All that matters is trying to find a party that is willing to accept such a naive girl into their fold.

The story of Eaudenil had begun eighteen years ago during the year of 2094 CE.

Born within the city of Hamburg, Germany, Lili lived an rather uneventful childhood. Though Lili's father had worked in one of the many banks in Hamburg, the Sonnenfelds often struggled to make due. They were natives to the city, but were of a lower economic class than most, and therefore Lili was never up to speed with the latest fashion trends or fads that had taken over the youth of Hamburg. Still, Lili wasn't worried because her family was technically considered poor, for she still loved her parents. They did what they could for her and their family, and that was all Lili wanted.

However, by the time Lili was five, tragedy would strike against the Sonnenfeld family. Lili's father would go to work, just as he had done for years, when a group of thugs sought to rob the bank he worked at. Attempts at negotiations would eventually crumble, and the bandits would fire upon the civilians inside with illegally purchased weaponry. It was said that Lili's father was a heroic man, who threw himself over one of his co-workers, shielding her from the rain of bullets at the cost of his life. Being just a child at her father's untimely death, Lili struggled to come to terms with his sudden departure, but she saw her father as a hero, and proceeded to look up to him.

Nevertheless, the incident continued to affect Lili for better or worse. Lili and her mother moved in with her grandparents, yet Lili chose to shelter herself in her room with fantasy books and games that could run on a potato of a computer. She would imagine herself as a legendary hero within her fairy tales, and enjoyed when fellow players would gleefully accept Lili's assistance whenever they required it. This was Lili's way of interaction; imagining herself as the great Eaudenil, aiding adventurers who were probably fat greasy old guys playing as girls. Once again, Lili didn't mind, for her adventures let her be a hero just like her father was.

Eventually, Lili would come across an advertisement for VR and a game called "Pariah Online." Defined as an experimental rejection of the status quo, Pariah was a world that Lili was enthralled by. Lili desired to play it, yet the only obstacle in her path was her economic status. Therefore, Lili began to save what money she could, from the odd job she worked to money she would receive as a present. Soon enough, Lili had earned the money to buy the game alongside new hardware. Logging in under her usual namesake, Lili unknowingly had set herself down a path that might just be the death of her should she not have the wit and cold steel to survive this new world.

Depending on who you ask, Eaudenil is either useful or worthless.

There are those that view Eaudenil as an easy target to further their schemes. She is willing to go with anything with just a little prodding, being able to use her nature-based magic in battle or as support. Eaudenil is someone you could sweet talk into giving you her fair share of the loot, and she wouldn't blink an eye at the suggestion. Additionally, if anything goes on an unexpected path, Eaudenil can be and has been used as bait for your getaway. Sure, Eaudenil is afraid of dying, and would have to fork the repair bill, but who would expect someone so easily pushed around to stand up for themselves?

Those on the other side of the spectrum (being elitists) see Eaudenil as nothing more than a piece of garbage. They spend hours upon hours grinding for their gear and experience, yet Eaudenil is nowhere near their level. Her tendency to give away items that she could potentially use directly affects Eaudenil's ability to preform, creating a whole category of players that are clearly stronger than herself. Who would want a casual in uncommon gear when you can have a powerhouse decked out in legendary artifacts gathered from various bosses? Nobody needs a "goody two shoes" on the battlefield; they need an experienced player with high level gear.

Warden - Regardless of what one might think of Eaudenil, she still sees herself as a defender of nature. She primarily functions as an utility/support hybrid, focusing on nature-related spells such as healing wounds with rejuvenating mists or entrapping opponents within plant roots commanded to lock the target in place.

Drox

Florist - Eaudenil has taken to the care of many a flower. If asked why, Eaudenil would respond that she finds the aspect of flower care rather calming. A flower doesn't have to worry over trivial matters; no, all a flower does is continue to look beautiful as it shifts in the path of a gentle breeze.

• Longsword
• Heater Shield

Earth
Restoration

Barkskin - In the world of Pariah Online, lost limbs in combat can be deadly if one does not have immediate access to a healer. If the amputee is willing, Eaudenil can use her blessings to forge a prosthetic for them, though this is usually painful as the plant life ingrains itself into the flesh and bone. Additionally, this benchmark allows Eaudenil to create wooden armor notable for its toughness, but much like the prosthetic, it remains highly flammable.

Earthwarden - With shield in hand, Eaudenil seeks to defend nature against those that dare to harm it. Having honed her craft during her time in Pariah, Eaudenil is able to focus her magic into her shield made of ancient wood, which itself is magically imbued in order to act as a catalyst. In turn, Eaudenil can force her shield to temporarily grow thorns, or lash out to entrap an enemy's weapon after a successful parry. However, Eaudenil is only able to choose one or the other, and by doing so, she is unable to cast any magic until she stops focusing magic into her shield.

Entangling Roots - Being a knight of the green, Eaudenil has formed a close bond with nature throughout the virtual world. The pact forged between Eaudenil and nature itself has blessed the warden with the ability to commune with elemental spirits, beckoning them to her call to ensnare and trap her opponents momentarily. Still, this form of crowd control isn't entirely foolproof, as someone strong enough can break free with enough effort. Someone could also burn (though living plants are harder to burn due to the water inside) or hack away the vegetation, though they risk torching the individual with the former and dulling their blade with the latter.

Grass Whistle - This ability was something Eaudenil developed after watching a group of bards preform a concert. Using a blade of grass, Eaudenil can temporarily lure one or more creatures to sleep with a peaceful melody for a short period of time, provided they aren't immune to sleep (like undead). If the target(s) take any damage after falling asleep, the effect automatically fades.

Recon Spores - Eaudenil's constant upkeep of flowers has melded into her pact with nature. Using her magic, Eaudenil can force flowers (such as dandelions) to release their spores to scout the road ahead as they float away through the air. While this allows Eaudenil to know how many creatures are ahead, it does not tell her what type of creature they are.

Demon Beastiary - Various demons can blight the land with their magic, killing the vegetation in hellish ways. To gain an upper hand in her endless struggle to defend nature, Eaudenil has scoured libraries to learn the weaknesses of several types of demonic creatures, though she isn't necessarily as skilled in such manners as a cleric or paladin would be.

Herbalism - What sort of greencloak would Eaudenil be if she was a stranger to to the study of botany? Eaudenil can identify edible plant life from poisonous plants, and she can also mill various plants into medical salves and pastes should healing magic be not available for whatever reason.

Kusanagi - Whenever leafy vegetation is cut or chewed on, the plant releases an odor into the air created from a rush of chemicals in a desperate attempt to heal the injury inflicted upon itself. The pact between Eaudenil and nature allows this chemical odor to trigger a signal within the warden, who can track down the source of the smell if it lies in an extreme, such as rampant deforestation or unholy energies spreading throughout the land.

Photosynthesis - Like a plant, Eaudenil's magical power depends on the sunlight. The longer Eaudenil stays in the sun, the stronger her magic is. The opposite is just as true; the longer that Eaudenil spends in darkness, the weaker her magical output is.

Undead Bestiary - In order to better protect nature, Eaudenil has studied the foulest of them all: the undead. From ghouls to skeletons, Eaudenil has taken the time to learn the weaknesses of her opponents, yet whether or not she will be able to apply her knowledge to real world experience is unknown.