Name: Sam ‘Ollie’ Oliver

Age: 35
Gender: Male

Appearance: Considered a pretty boy by his colleagues in his younger days, Ollie has matured into a gruff gentleman kind of look. His hair is dark brown, medium in length on top, swept to the back and shortly shaved on the sides. He sports a thick moustache with 5 o’clock shadow over his strong jawline. Facially he has prominent cheekbones with slightly gaunt cheeks and deep ocean blue eyes.

Standing at 6’1, the man is in decent athletic shape, still able to run down younger perps with relative ease. He weighs a healthy 85 kilograms and somehow has managed to maintain a decent diet all these years despite his personal struggles.

After suddenly being transported to New Atlantis, Ollie’s right arm has become seemingly infected. From his right hand to just below his elbow, that part of his arm has turned black with cracks that run through it. The cracks reveal a fiery glow that emanates from within, giving off warmth but not enough to burn when calm, the same can’t be said if he becomes angry. His fingers have become slightly longer and have morphed into more of a claw or talon.

Over time and with use of his magical abilities this ‘infection’ will spread ending up looking like this.

Currently it looks like this


Personality: As a boy Ollie’s mother used to say he was so loving and caring, always happy and spreading joy wherever he went. A tough and strenuous adolescence changed that, life began to harden his personality, forcing Ollie to set aside his weak emotions, instead becoming cold and calculating.

With his career, things became more morbid, forcing him to bury his emotions even further down inside. The only emotion that ever really appeared was rage, venting out in short bursts of anger, though that was and is rare. Most of the time he learned to use his numb ability to his advantage in the workplace, though it did remove him from being able to connect deeply with others and made him more robotic. He is aware of all this though, and does try to hide it behind comedy, he does enjoy making himself laugh and is often quick witted and dry in his humour.

Deep down he still has an eternal struggle between who he was born as, a good and kind nature, versus his nurtured cold and emotionless monster.

Backstory: Growing up, life was never easy for the Oliver family, after a nasty accident at work Sam’s father was left with major back problems, leaving him unfit for most jobs. In order to cope with this and the added financial stress, the man turned to alcoholism, losing himself to the drink. Unable to cope with the abuse and anger that came with addiction, Sam’s mother became distant and numb, barely ever leaving her room or even acknowledging anyone else.

Sam himself was left to care for his younger brother, John, who was 10 years his junior. At only 3 years old the boy needed round the clock care, so Sam brought John to their grandmothers and set out into the world looking for a job. Living in a poor neighbourhood the place was wracked with crime and a job, especially one for a 13 year old boy, was impossible to find. So it wasn’t long before Sam fell in with a bad crowd.

Those in charge used the adolescent to peddle drugs, either running them from location to location or selling them outright on the corner. Sam made good enough money doing this to provide for his family but it took an emotional toll on him. There was no love in gang life, anyone considered to be weak was instantly preyed upon by others, often getting them chastised to the point of breaking down or even putting them in hospital through physical violence. Sam was forced to master his environment, forcing himself to become numb; he integrated himself deeper into the gangs ranks.

It wasn’t long before things became even more hostile when an opposing faction moved in on their territory. Events snowballed as retaliation begat retaliation, leaving all sides blind. Those who Sam had grown up with began to drop like flies and he knew it wasn’t long before someone would come for him or his family too. Knowing there was only one way to protect the only thing he had ever cared about, Sam abandoned his family and old life behind, hoping those still left around would see that he had no real connection to his brother and would therefore leave him alone.

Using what little money he had left, Sam moved to the other side of the country, finding himself in another downtrodden city. Not wanting to repeat the same mistakes of his past, the young man applied for the police academy. Six months later he was working the streets and it wasn’t long before he was progressing up the ranks. Sam used his experiences as a troubled youth to his advantage, being able to pick up on crimes a lot easier than others and coaching others in the way that drug gangs worked. After two years he was offered a job as a detective and he began to hone these skills.

Though Sam had progressed, his past still troubled him, suffering from insomnia due to nightmares in the form of deep seeded guilt. After a string of failed personal relationships, Sam felt enough time may have passed to try and make contact with his family again. He called his grandmother only to find that his brother was missing. Their money had long run out and John had opted to provide for the whole family by taking up a job in New Atlantis just before the island cut itself off from the world.

Taking a leave of absence from work, Sam travelled home for the first time in over a decade. He sifted through his brother's things and put the pieces of the case together. He could only find small bits of evidence from the things left behind, with his biggest clue coming from John’s journal, referencing a mysterious man offering some sort of job. Who was this man and what was the job? Sam couldn’t find the answers and every official channel he explored was just a dead end after dead end.

That was until she appeared.

Skills:

Problem solving
Critical thinking
Communication
Attention to detail
Keen understanding of human behavior and psychology.
Ok computer and technology skills
Basic hand to hand skills
Decent small firearms knowledge

Items of Note:

SIG Sauer P320 9mm
Two additional ammo clips
John’s journal (small pocket sized notebook)
Mobile phone

Abilities: Due to his detective skills, Ollie’s sixth sense is really prominent, often able to help him find clues in the area and react quickly when there is magic involved.

As mentioned above, the ‘infected area’ that is his right arm, is imbued with the elemental power of fire and earth. Using his pistol as a conduit for the magic, he is able to shoot hot, metallic magma rounds at enemies with the actual gun itself changing in appearance to look like an extension of his right arm. The magma slugs burst open after penetration for maximum damage both on the outside and inside of a target. When returning it to its holster or handing it off to his left hand, the gun goes back to a regular shape and look.

As Ollie uses magic, the blackened area grows similar to a virus (hence why it’s referred to as an infection) as well as in moments of anger. The actual area also appears to have a mind of its own, physically manifesting itself for Ollie, appearing as his brother John. In reality the magic is just a manifestation of his fractured personality (with his negative traits inhabiting the magical area) and will only appear for Ollie to see.

The arm itself also doubles as a defensive ability, fusing to metal or rock on touch (not in an instant but given enough time) and imbuing the object with magic. Ollie is able to defend himself from the magic of others using the object as a shield. In terms of close quarter offensive ability, the arm (and whatever part of Ollie the infection has spread to) has superhuman strength, there is no magical ability other than this though.

Finally the arm can possess others of his own power level, or beneath, on touch. If the target is unwilling and of the same power level, then it only acts as a debuff, inhibiting the target's magic ability to a degree or temporarily restricting movement. If the unwilling target is a much lower power level, the level of control is greater. The greater a target's magic resistance, the more difficult the possession or control of the target is.

If the target is willing (an ally for example) then the powers of Ollie can be used to some degree (they gain its strength and toughness) but the willing target will be affected by their own negative emotions in the same way, i.e manifesting a “dark” version of themselves only they can see. If a willing target also has magic resistant abilities, this will also make possession difficult, thereby lessening the effect of the magic.

Possession can also work on inanimate objects, though only in relation to the elemental base of fire and earth. For instance, a pile of rocks could become a golem, or a flame atronach could be conjured from fire. Again this would be affected by Ollie’s negative emotions, with the creature taking on that “dark” persona and lasting for as long as Ollie can manage it.

When touched, the ‘infection’ will spread over a small area the same in appearance as Ollie, making it noticeable on the target (friend or foe).

Melee: 10
Ranged: 16

Focus: 15
Spread: 2

Burst: 10
Sustain: 10

Force: 5
Finesse: 10

Defense: 15
Agility: 2

Support: 10
Sabotage: 15

Name: Eulalie "Eeltje" Archambeault Nieuwoudt

Age: 29

Gender: Female

Appearance: Pale skin; black, voluminous black hair in a spectrum french bob and what traditionalists would call tomboyish, delicate lips, cheekbones starting to get prominent, round face and a penetrating gaze, Eeltje could pass being a decade younger and garner strangers' sympathy with her unassuming and innocent semblance. And she knows it, so during her adult years she disposed generous amount of time daily with dermatological and other bodily cares to conserve her adorable looks. She's reasonably fit, nothing beyond an average (naturally-skinny) crossfitter. And while her clothing choices aren't so much fitting for her roles - it is not unusual for Eeltje to walk around with bland old tees paired with pastel floral skirts - she looks just fine with what she's got and, besides, she enjoys her marketing as a modest, humanitarian angel. Just smile warmly, wink, and the paparazzis won't mind the off-putting polka dot shirt.

Personality: The Japanese say you have three faces. No, that's internet bullshit, but let's pretend they do. The first face, Eeltje is affable and extrovert, and knows how to cause and manage a positive impression. Just like any "naturally charismatic" public figure, I'd argue. The second face, when wearing the first one becomes a burden, she becomes more somber and apathetic, and those who know Eeltje for her friendly semblance are usually startled by her frigid "nature". Her third face and true nature, however - when Eeltje becomes Eulalie - goes beyond that. A deep-seated mixture of fear and hatred for people, a platonic drive for appraisal, and a schizoid approach to empathy. She barely feels like a (neurotypical) human. An attention-seeking nihilist, you could say. And as such, she's extremely diligent and ruthless (there are very few things that can hinder her progress towards her goals; physical fatigue, workload or social normals certainly are none of them). A product of her early years' neglect and her natural antisocial personality disorder. The only thing that consistently snaps her out of her emotional torpor are remembrances of her parents (whether referring to them directly or indirectly, through her childhood memories), but it's best not to be next to her when that happens. That dark aspect of Eeltje, however, is mostly under control thanks to almost a decade of psychotherapy. But, under the strains of life-threatening situations... they might at last blossom.

Backstory:

P.O.B. Beirut, Lebanon

Daughter of a couple of French entrepreneur engineers who managed to settle with a nice lifestyle in post-war Lebanon, Eulalie lived an opulent and mannerly lifestyle as a strangely detached child, and that aspect of hers was augmented astronomically after an arson took her parents' life and she was left under care of an ill-funded orphanage as the bureaucratic machine sought, fruitlessly, familiars overseas, in France. Initially emotionless, other aspects of her personality - both as a coping mechanism and as a natural manifestation of her antisocial nature - eventually blossomed: she became more of an overachiever (going as far as learning Arabic virtually by herself) and, with that, diligent; neediness and manipulation became commonplace for her; and a cruel, rule-defying behaviour alienated her from her peers to the point she had to be transferred to a different orphanage to avoid further abuse (by both sides). There, Eulalie sought to construct a more positive image of herself despite her accompanying infamy, and it worked - a couple of wealthy Afrikaans philanthropists passing by Lebanon to monitor the ongoing Cedar Revolution visited her institution and fell in love with her (superficial) charm and industriousness. Eeltje was adopted and, acknowledging her troubled past, her new parents put her through a psychological treatment to manage her conduct disorder. It proved to be somewhat successful. She was indeed socially functioning and much less freaky; but her innate detachment and darkness endured, dormant in the depths of her mind.

Graduated from high school, Eeltje saw an opportunity to explore her natural theatrical abilities by working as a representative one of her parents' charities situated in, you guessed it, Lebanon (she has always been unhealthily obsessed with her homeland), and enrolled in a business bachelor at Lebanon's prestigious Adnan Kassar School of Business. Her college years were marked by accolades for her scholarly and philanthropic exertion, stellar grades, really awful relationships and suffocated cases of misconduct. Eeltje pressed on in the academy up to a Masters degree, and was underway of her PhD when shit hit the fan.

Since 2018, vague and suppressed denounces of human right violations in New Atlantis' supply chains began to be whispered ear by ear throughout the world of philanthropy. Of course, New Atlantis being the world's apple of the eye, very few resourceful folks were keen on thoroughly following leads that at the time seemed like fabrications to stain the symbol of multilateralism, and a pair of those handful of nonconformists just happened to me Mr. and Mrs. Nieuwoudt. They began to dig in and dig in with covert journalist and private detectives and all sort of stuff they had in their arsenal. And, just as seemingly unnatural political tension began to sprout in New Atlantis, the couple was invited by a representative of the Logistics Ministry of New Atlantis for a meeting in regards of their increasingly concerning investigation... and the lockdown happened and they never left, nor contacted anyone, ever since.

And, to up a notch on the eerie (and conspiratorial) factor, the Nieuwoudt family was a victim of character assassination, with most of their assets frozen (unlawfully, most likely) and the family's wrongdoings - whether slanders or buried truths - exposed to broad daylight. Eeltje was dishonorably expelled from her PhD and was threatened to have her business bachelor and Masters removed from her, but through her particular unorthodoxy and eloquence (threats, blackmail and defamation, mostly), she was able to retain those.

Now with only a measly fraction of the prestige and wealth she had one year prior, Eeltje got hellbent on digging the truth. She wanted to know what happened to her parents, why was their reputation assaulted, and she was willing to set New Atlantis ablaze or stir an international crisis if it was needed. But that wasn't needed. A mysterious, nymph-like semblance offered her a much more concise path to her goal. Now, in this world, Eulalie is to trail a way that's much more her type than any socially-complying strategy she could otherwise device.

Skills: Superficial charm. Charisma. Eloquence. Feigned empathy. Genuine manipulation. She knows how to sound nice. Diligence (a virtue or a skill? You be the judge). Extreme apathy, she could probably stab a baby if such vile act of degeneracy was necessary (and, once again, you be the judge). Speaks French and Arabic as a native, profficient in Dutch and English, and convesational in Afrikaans. In reasonable shape. Above average, but then again the average is overweight nowadays. Can probably do a pullup and sprint for a couple of minutes.

Abilities: Exhaling from her hands, Eeltje is able to "invoke" (materialize as a more physical term) a thick, black vapour with a similar semblance to a squid's ink, and manipulate its movement (and since it's a gas, by extent, its form).

Smoke as an active weapon

At her will, said vapour can be solidified, a process which takes mili-seconds, and too the solid object is controlled by her. (As a more tangible analogy, pretend the vapour to be water and its solid state ice, and think how water-benders could create potentially lethal ice weapons, projectiles, and etc.).

The process itself is not too subtle - when Eeltje begins to conjure said mist her hands starts to mildly emit said smoke (just like boiling water fumes vapour). She can then pick a spot (whether on a surface or on thin air) of where the mist would rapidly materialize and shapeshift into her mind's desire. Said spot cannot be too far from her, as that point of emanation and her hands have some sort of arcane connection. Since the gas (but not the solid) is conductive and inflammable, the mentioned invisible bond has two important implications: first, if the mist gets electrocuted, the electric current can and is transported to Eeltje; second, if it is set ablaze, it is likely the flames will creep up to her hands, albeit more slowly than a flow of electrons would. While it takes no mental effort to create or manipulate the mist, its solidified state can only be achieved through concentration; once her mind strays from the solid form, it returns to its gaseous state, this time however lacking any sort of bond with Eeltje- it is but purpleish-to-black, natural smoke.

While creating projectiles and darting at targets is the most eloquent usage of that ability, it requires a respectable amount of proficiency to shape them into an aerodynamics-friendly form and launch them accurately and at a damaging speed. Therefore, it is more common for Eeltje to construct golems or otherwise humanoid figures which behaves like marionettes, with actions controlled by her mind.

As a toxic gas

Just like Eeltje can force the smoke to become a solid, she can transform it into an debilitating fume. It behaves similarly to mustard gas (and is 14400 times more reactant) and its vesicant chemical burns (i.e. it swells the fuck out of anything it touches), with potential to cause some respectable physical impairments (such as third degree burns or temporary blindness).

As an environmental tool

Due to its physical properties the vapour can be used as a smoke bomb, although it would probably take a couple of seconds to perhaps a few minutes in order to generate sufficient smoke to conceal a reasonable area.

Metrics

Melee: 8
Ranged: 16

Focus: 8
Spread: 14

Burst: 5
Sustain: 16

Force: 8
Finesse: 17

Defense: 9
Agility: 15

Support: 0
Sabotage: 4

Name: Jonathan E. Veirmos
Nicknames: Jon; JevMos (online nickname)

Age: 29 years

Gender: Male

Appearance: Jonathan looks fairly plain as a white American, standing at 5’6” and weighing around 168 pounds. He’s fit enough for his usual daily activities, for basic swordsmanship, and for holding his ground in a one-on-one fistfight. He keeps his black hair short so it stays straight, and he usually wears simple black-and-blue glasses for his nearsightedness. After being transported to New Atlantis, most of his skin is covered with a layer of silver dragon scales, leaving his head and fingertips uncovered. His hazel eyes now look like a dragon’s eyes with slit pupils, designed to allow better sight in light and darkness. Jonathan also now has a pair of wings with a total span of 10 feet, as well as a prehensile 5-foot tail.

Personality: In person, Jonathan is generally reserved, usually only speaking up as necessary, as long as he doesn’t notice someone picking on someone else. He isn’t afraid to stand up in someone’s defense, even though he hasn’t been thanked often for doing so. One of his favorite phrases is, “When all is said and done, a lot more is said than done.” He gets things done, or at least he tries to when he doesn’t get distracted by something.

His Internet persona, however, is a slightly different story. Jonathan, or “JevMos,” loves to play computer games and write in his spare time. He finds stories and near-anonymity to be a realm where he can speak his mind much more without fear of any “real backlash.” He is also often stubborn about his stories and how to beat something inside a game, which is slightly understandable when some of his in-game tactics keep working out well. This stubbornness sometimes spills over into real life.

Backstory: Born and raised in the United States, Jonathan was the second of three children. In school, he did well in technical subjects, leading him toward a potential career in computers and programming. At the same time, he discovered a love and wonder for fiction, games, and dragons, often dreaming of becoming a bigtime writer. These, combined with an impulsive urge to stand up to bullies and the like, got Jonathan into a lot of fights where (he thinks) he started learning how to fight better. Even when he did get in trouble, he thought it was worth it to help other kids get away from their harassers.

Through high school and college, Jonathan kept hearing how solid a career in programming would be, and how shaky one in writing would be. Because of this, he went with all the suggestions and found a job as a programmer in a big company. Pretty soon after that, his younger brother Edgar decided to move in with him while going to college and figuring out what he wanted to do with his life. In between everything else, Jonathan often spent time with Edgar learning how to use some weapons found in the games they’d played, such as guns and swords.

Jonathan learned to balance life with time he spent writing, gradually building a novel he grew proud of. Hoping it might even grow into a series, he began searching for a publisher who’d accept his novel. It took a while, a few rejections, and a few revisions, but he found a publisher based in New Atlantis. Jonathan was about to meet with them in person when the megacity was locked down. He began looking into why the lockdown happened and why he couldn’t get in touch with the publisher, but of course his efforts were fruitless. He even started digging into any potential connections his company had with New Atlantis, which of course got him fired eventually.

When Edgar decided to run off and try to break into New Atlantis directly, Jonathan knew he had to go after him (and maybe help them both get in). Unfortunately, a strange woman showed up and hijacked his plans…

Skills:
Programming
Writing
Gaming
Hand-eye coordination
Puzzle solving (at least he thinks so)
Basic hand-to-hand fighting
Basic sword-fighting
Basic knowledge of guns
Drawing attention to himself

Items of Note:
Ring with a blue background and a silver dragon - Jonathan and Edgar got similar rings as a symbol of supporting each other in life. This ring somehow changes to keep fitting Jonathan in his different forms, indicating that it may not be just a symbol anymore...
Smartphone with phone case, black and blue with a silver dragon
Empty black backpack

Abilities: Jonathan’s abilities are mainly based in wood and water, with speed and agility from air. In his strong form, some of the speed and agility is traded for strength from earth.

Shapeshifting: Jonathan can shift into one of three different forms: normal, strong, and agile. It currently takes him a few seconds to shift between forms. His normal form is the most humanlike and is his default if his shifting were to end prematurely. In his strong form, he grows bulkier and stronger, and his head and hands become scaled and draconic. His agile form is essentially a human-sized four-legged dragon with greater speed and agility, though he wouldn’t mind being able to change size with practice. Each form has its own stat spread.

Regeneration: Jonathan’s body has accelerated regeneration, allowing his body and scales to heal faster from injuries if given enough time.

Ice Armor/Grenade: Jonathan can conjure a layer of ice armor across his person; it’s fairly weak but will repair its damage within seconds.
This is more easily done in his strong and agile forms: He can also cause part or all of it to shoot or explode outward in shards, after which his ice armor takes longer to replace itself. He can lace these ice shards with a paralyzing or sleeping toxin that more easily affects those with less magical resistance than him.

Scale Armor & Sword: Jonathan’s scales act as a layer of armor. His arms grow an extra layer of scales that he can shed when they’re fully grown, which usually takes a few hours.
This is more easily done in his strong and agile forms: He can shoot/throw his arm scales as ammunition or transform them into a cutlass or longsword. These scales and swords can be laced with a paralyzing or sleeping toxin that more easily affects those with less magical resistance than him.

Mini-Dragon Eidolon: Jonathan can summon a cat-sized silver dragon that is fully autonomous and can communicate telepathically with Jonathan using simple ideas, emotions, and images. It also has ice armor and can apply toxins with its ice, claws, and teeth, but these are slightly weaker than Jonathan’s. It can last indefinitely if not destroyed or dismissed in some way.

Balanced Buff: Jonathan can provide a minor, balanced buff to a target’s offensive power, defense, speed, and agility, as well as providing a minor regeneration buff. This can be done either through a short-range energy bolt, or by pushing one of his dragon scales to the target's body. The energy bolt's buffs are short-lived but more potent; the scale's buffs last longer but are less potent.

Cleanse Debuffs: Jonathan can cleanse debuffs from a target. This can also be done via short-range energy bolt or dragon scale.

Water/Ice/Plant/Scale Manipulation (more easily done in his normal form): Jonathan can do basic manipulation of existing water, ice, and plant material. He can also manipulate his dragon scales to a more advanced extent, mostly if they have been shed or are extra scales on his arms.

Wings: In addition to flight partly powered by his magic, Jonathan’s scaled wings can also be used as an additional shield.

The numbers are for Normal/Strong/Agile forms. Let me know if I should separate these for better readability.

Melee: 10/15/12
Ranged: 10/10/7

Focus: 10/14/10
Spread: 12/8/8

Burst: 9/14/10
Sustain: 15/10/12

Force: 3/14/8
Finesse: 12/4/14

Defense: 10/14/10
Agility: 10/7/19

Support: 9/0/0
Sabotage: 10/10/10