Rig is a city of color and sunlight and nature. Stained glass windows, stucco walls sculpted and engraved with sweeping artistry, enormous trees whose roots and branches shelter clusters of homes and catwalks. Hang-gliders, hoverbikes and drones weave overhead while children play in the spotless streets. Everything is hung with lush vines and blooming flowers; the city consistently smells like potpourri and turned soil. The sun burns bright and hot most days, and the nights are cool.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE? Names aren't important. Archer, or The Archer, is all there is now.
DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE. Archer's mask was a gift by a passing motorcycle tribe: it's molded and etched out of tarnished old machine parts to resemble a deer's head, with its own built-in solar panels that power its scanners and green illumination. Archer wears practical clothing, mostly long and loose browns and greens, with a little light armor when the situation calls for it. Most of the time she looks like she just arrived out of the woods. (Inspiration!)
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES? From a distance, a stranger would first question whether Archer is a robot or a person, because of the convincing lights where her face should be. Then she speaks in her lilting, smiling way, and almost anyone is put immediately at ease. She carries herself like a puppet with the strings loose, fluid and always moving in a slightly unbalanced way.
How she sees herself isn't anybody's business but her own, really. And anyway it doesn't matter.
WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME? Whoever she was before has no bearing on the present. Home is Rig. Home is the Blinking Fortress. Home is the tops of the trees and the shelter of roots. Home is wherever she is right now.
WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES? Let's not get into that. It's boring.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS? Professionally, Archer is a leader. She keeps track of what's wrong and who's most qualified to help. Her best skill is that she knows things and discovers things, both about situations and about people. She's got a sense for people, and a keen trust. She has a few thoughts about herself, but isn't likely to tell you that.
WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS? This is the kind of question that can get people killed.
WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED? Archer wants to understand everything and everyone. She wants to save everyone from everything that makes them miserable. What she needs is ... well, again, not your business.
WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT? Doesn't matter. What's important now is the choices she makes going forward. Maybe she'll make better ones this time.
Fluke
WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE? Born Miss Jinnow Arthur, which was scrapped for awhile in favor of Arthur Arthur as a lark. Now he goes by Fluke.
DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE. Fluke's mask is made of metal scrap and pipes, and changes occasionally depending on how bored he is. Sometimes he tries to build a miniature city on his face, but takes it apart again when it gets too heavy. He's short and skinny for his questionable age, usually disheveled and dusty in secondhand clothes, shorts, sneakers or sandals. He likes to draw on himself, but can't commit to a tattoo. (Inspiration!)
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES? Strangers tend to be slightly unsettled by Fluke's presence. He's quiet, stands a little too close, and doesn't ever seem to catch social cues to leave. He mostly communicates by tapping and slapping and nudging people, which doesn't always work in his favor. He is generally tolerated, ignored, and overlooked. Fluke thinks of himself as someone who fits in the little gaps between what people expect and what they see. He spent much of his life feeling like a ghost-- invisible and unimportant --but now has embraced his ghost-ness as an asset.
WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME? Fluke was born and raised here in Rig, specifically the tree huts high up in the branches. He grew up swinging through the leaves and breaking bones, learning to hang-glide and chase squirrels and build pulleys and bridges and suncatchers. Fluke is still most comfortable in high places, but recently has grown fond of the high catwalks beneath the stained-glass ceiling of the old feasting hall. He's collected a little nest in a sunny corner, where he goes to read or listen to storytelling podcasts or watch the weddings and parties from above. (And eat his fill when no one's looking, of course.)
WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES? Fluke's parents were (are) around but not really, so he never thinks much about them. The Archer is definitely the most important person in his life. Archer was the first person to really see Fluke, to trust him with important jobs, to teach him real lessons about life and give him a sense of purpose. Fluke trusts Archer more than anyone.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS? He's an inventor, a builder, and a problem-solver. While everyone else is bickering or debating options, Fluke is the one going behind their backs to quietly solve the issue on his own. He thinks he's smarter that most people, free to come up with solutions that no one else can see because he doesn't care how others might react. His truest strength is his willingness to take risks, to take the blame for whatever happens even if it's not his fault. He can let it all wash over him, but he knows other people are not so resilient.
WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS? Fluke is afraid of the dark. He's afraid of causing harm to other people, so much that he keeps his emotional distance. He doesn't speak: not because he can't, but because he feels it isn't worth the effort of trying to be understood. He never trusts anyone to do anything right, but he will wait for them to mess up before he steps in. He keeps all of his thoughts-- his past, his dreams --a secret. He feels that if he tells someone, they might empathize and relate. He won't be special anymore.
WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED? Fluke hates attention and the spotlight, but more than anything he wants to be the unsung hero. He wants to save everyone, and watch the world get better because of him, as long as he can remain anonymous. He needs someone to believe in other than himself: he needs to feel equal to someone else, and to put forward the effort to understand another person instead of dismissing them.
WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT? Fluke was immediately attracted to the idea of becoming someone else, especially the mask and the codename and the opportunity to be seen as other by the general population. There's a sense of freedom that comes with anonymity. Saving people from the Nox, and the opportunity to learn magic, sealed the deal. The ZE is everything he could ever want. So when Archer-- after weeks of sending him on minor errands --invited him to initiation, he cried with joy. He's never looked back.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS CHARACTER CHANGE AND DEVELOP? Fluke needs to understand that everyone is human, including himself. He's taken on a persona of Something Else, viewing other people like a naturalist studies a strange species. He sees their happy lives as something that's simply not meant for him. If he can let other people in, let himself acknowledge that they're all the same in the end, he might also let go of his fear.
PITCH A SMALL SUBPLOT THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHARACTER. Something as simple has having someone depend exclusively on Fluke for an extended period of time could significantly alter his point of view. A child, or someone elderly or sick, who trusts him completely and needs him, would go a long way to soften his heart. He also has never really felt the pain of loss: he never lets himself get close enough to anyone to significantly feel their absence. To lose someone he cares about would be a significant lesson.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE? His old name was Ryan Barrett. Now he goes by Cedar.
DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE. His mask is (appropriately) wooden. It has a splintered, vaguely haphazard look, but is otherwise featureless. He prefers it that way; with no visible facial expressions, even a static one on his mask, people tend to project whatever emotion they want on him instead. Besides the mask, he tends to stick to pants and jackets, never shorts or short sleeves, regardless of temperature. He has a preference for greys.
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES? To a stranger, he seems relatively normal, if slightly unnerving at times. He's very reserved, rarely laughing or making jokes, but always friendly and understanding. At first sight he might seem nearly bland, and he certainly does his best to avoid offense. While he never seems slow, everything he does, from body language to choice of words, seems oddly deliberate and thought out. Inwardly - though he would detest anyone knowing it - he struggles with empathy and motivation. He is acutely aware of his difficulties in empathizing sometimes and his lack of purpose and tends to think of himself as nearly 'pseudo-real'. Ironically, him thinking of himself as 'emotionally shallow' and 'dangerously apathetic' have given him more purpose than most things in his life. It's partially why he is always so friendly - he wants very badly to be what he sees as a 'better person' and thinks that forcing himself to act it will help it come true. His true nature is far more withdrawn and quiet - apathy drives him to isolation without self-motivation.
WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME? He grew up in Rig in a rather dark section of the city. The dark was pleasant, however - though he often felt paranoid of what was in it, it could also be calming, comforting in a strange way. It was dark simply because the inhabitants of the area preferred it that way. From tunnels to dimly lit chapels, to alleys with light-blocking covers and streets left open to the sun only reluctantly, living there for a while made it feel like more light than needed was practically distasteful. It might've been cold and usually quiet, but Cedar's neighbors always seemed to have a strange pride in their little section. Most of Rig is bright and colorful, but not all life is meant to be that way. Some plants prefer the dark, and some people prefer quiet. It might seem strange to other citizens, but the people there seemed happy and peaceful enough. Places like these are where Cedar feels most at home, but truthfully, he's never had a problem adjusting to new places. He alway seems to accept wherever he is as good enough.
WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES? It's hard to tell - Cedar isn't the type to idolize people. Archer would be the closest bet, mostly because he's mentally assigned Archer the 'good leader' label in his head.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS? He is a worker and a people-pleaser. He finds solace in his ability to do things efficiently and artfully, and while he's no bootlicker, he does try to adhere himself to people through his work. Because of this he is also great at teamwork and cooperating with others in any regard. He's also pretty good at things involving talking - he's gotten very good at phrasing things nicely and getting others to cooperate with him. Some of his greatest strengths are his loyalty and determination. He will go to great lengths to do things for others, though this sometimes isn't the healthiest habit.
WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS? Most of his fears are social - he may feel apathetic to many things, but he craves respect above most things. This means he can easily be mislead into doing things for people who want to manipulate him, and sometimes he is more concerned with how people will think of him than if what they want him to do is right or not. Because of this, he often avoids leadership roles. He often feels like he is 'acting' and fears being caught somehow. Because of this, he prefers to wear his mask almost constantly, as he finds it comforting, and tends to mold how he acts to those around him, regardless of how smart that may be. He has almost no secrets, which is something he thinks of as proof of his 'shallowness'. The only secret he has is his general emotional state, but considering how outwardly cagey he is about everything to do with it, that is one secret he will likely never tell.
WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED? What Cedar wants and likely needs most is a purpose. While he can easily throw himself into dedication relatively easily, he often lacks aim or an end goal. He simply does what he feels is appropriate at the time. While he is dedicated to Zephyr and its cause, he has few personal goals, instead dedicating himself almost exclusively to others and the needs of the organization, ignoring his own needs.
WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT? Besides the fact he likes masks and codenames, he finds the organization respectable in its cause and easy to dedicate himself to. He feels he could do good work with Zephyr. Protect the innocent from Horrors - is there a more noble cause? Besides, what could a person want from life more than something they could see themselves willingly serving to the last breath for? A little dedication and loyalty helps the world turn, after all.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS CHARACTER CHANGE AND DEVELOP? What Cedar definitely needs is motivation to do things for himself and something to care for. Cedar is cagey, too cagey to be really close with someone. He needs to learn to fully trust and to open up. He needs to learn that he doesn't always have to act.
PITCH A SMALL SUBPLOT THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHARACTER. Maybe being injured badly or something similar. Cedar, for all his good will, detests having to depend on others himself or inconvenience others. Being forced to confront the need to trust on reliable people to support and help him would break some of his walls. An injury that temporarily incapacitates him would also force him to acknowledge he can't always work himself so dangerously for others without considering himself.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE? “Hmmm? Oh! I am… was? Marissa Kane. My, uh, codename is Listener.”
DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE. “I love my mask! It’s a metal faceplate made of some really light stuff! Amazing craftsmanship! Etched on it is a nice pretty diamond design… wait is that a diamond? Hmm… some sort of crystal. Like crystal clear, right! Haha! Anyways, it looks great! Sooooo… What's your mask like?”
“I love to be fashionable, but you know, you got to dress for the occasion. That’s what Mum always taught me anyways. I usually wear stuff that’s easy to move in, y’know. Like these trousers, and this nice long-sleeved shirt. Does this green look good on me?”
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES? “I love meeting new strangers! New people! Gosh, why’d you have to use ‘strangers’? Like, saying that out loud is so weird. I know sometimes I can come across a little strong. At least that’s what Mum and Dad tells me. I usually do well when it comes to adjusting myself to meet and match their personality… the best I can read it anyways, and I’ve been told I’m good at that.
“As far as how I see myself… hmmm… Well, I know I am definitely a bubbly social butterfly. I love to be playful. I love the word ‘love’. I like to think of myself as a bit of a romantic, but I won’t let that get in the way of work. Ugh, I hate talking about myself. Let’s talk about you!”
WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME? “I grew up on the road. Mum and Dad are traveling traders, so I got to travel the world. I definitely would say I feel at home with whoever I feel comfortable with: friends and family. Well, basically wherever feels good. How about you?”
WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES? “Mum and Dad are the most important people in my life. I’m here actually because they wanted me to do something different from their profession. I don’t think this would be their first choice, or even any choice at all, but I, like, got the idea of this stuck in my head, and it just won’t get out.”
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS? “I like to think I’m really good with people. I did grow up on the road meeting all kinds of folks. While I never paid much attention to my parents’ work I’m pretty sure I can do well enough negotiating and stuff. I’ve been told I’m a great listener though. Maybe it’s because I’m good at paying attention. I know it doesn’t seem like it because I do talk so much.
“I’m actually really good at sneaking around, and not being seen. I used to always get into places I shouldn’t be, and I didn’t like being caught, so I got great at sneaking and hiding. Oh who am I kidding? I still like getting into places I shouldn't be.”
Her true strength is her optimism. Even through the toughest circumstances she is always able to see a positive somewhere in the darkness.
WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS? “I am actually really really afraid that I might learn something that completely ruins my view of life as I know it. Like, I’ve heard in my travels from some people -- not always directly from them to me -- about something awful happening causing them to lose all hope. Well, I, uh, that really freaks me out.
“My flaws… hmmm… I tend to think too much which causes me to assume things which has always gotten me into waaay too much trouble before. Or at least it has caused me some embarrassment. Some people don’t like how happy I am, so I guess that’s a flaw, but I think that’s just weird.
“Secrets? No one else gets to know, right? Just between you and me? Okay, I’m trusting you here. I was playing rough with a boy from a small village known as Pin, and well we accidentally knocked down a lantern and it set fire to half the village. He and I got out okay, and I don’t think anyone found out it was either of us, but I’m always a bit nervous I’ll meet someone from Pin, and I’m worried to find out someone they cared about was hurt in that fire. Now, tell me, what’s a secret you have?”
WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED? “I want an adventure, but I don’t really know what I actually need. Maybe, what I need is exactly what I want? How about you?”
She needs to be loved and admired by everyone.
WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT? “Oh that’s easy! I want to learn new things! As many new things as I can! Like, seriously, I’m looking to expand my horizons here… Well, actually, it’s more because I can’t get the idea out of my head. Do you know why I can’t get it out of my head? I don’t.”
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS CHARACTER CHANGE AND DEVELOP? I am definitely not entirely sure how I want to see Marrissa change and develop. I’m definitely a believer of natural development of a character through the events that happen throughout the course of a RP. What would probably be best is for her bubbliness to be tempered by tough circumstances and reality, but who knows, she could go totally insane?
PITCH A SMALL SUBPLOT THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHARACTER. It would be interesting to see her be discovered and confronted by a villager from Pin who lost someone dear to them. She thinks no one saw her escape outside of the boy she was playing around with. Maybe it’s the boy himself all grown up now that lost someone as a result of the fire and full of resentment towards her.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE? Formerly Laverna Graydon, now Steel Rose, or Rose.
DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE. Rose stands at 5'7", walking with confidence. Her chin-length, chestnut brown hair frames her face in messy wisps. Behind her mask is a pale, freckled and expressive face, with sharp green eyes. Her hands bear slight scars from tinkering accidents, and she has a tattoo of leafy vines winding around her left arm. She favours bright, bold colours, which extend to her mask, or at least half of it.
While the mask features plant motifs all over, both sides contrast with each other. Gears and metallic shards make up the flowers and leaves on the right side, wires snaking like branches around them. This mechanical design gives way to a riot of colour and intricacy on the left side, with red, pink and yellow roses surrounded by gold-tinged green vines and foliage.
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES? Despite the "steel" part of her codename, there's nothing rigid or cold about her. Feisty and free-spirited, she can be viewed either as fun to be with, or a troublemaker who needs seriously reining in - not that doing so is at all easy. When she has issues with someone, she'll let them know. In that situation, she acts or speaks first, and thinks later. This is especially true if they're threatening someone she cares about.
She thinks of herself as her own person, someone who lives life to the full despite having been held back for so long. Having a strong sense of identity is important to her.
WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME? She grew up in an industrial, high-tech area of Rig, although she found such a sterile part of an otherwise verdant city stifling. She much preferred the overgrown streets and woodlands.
WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES? During childhood, it was her father, a renowned engineer. Just like most children view their parents as role models, she idolised him until he started using her love of tinkering to his advantage, forcing her to follow in his footsteps for his own image. For years, she was treated like as much of a machine as his creations, and punished for the slightest misstep or flaw in her projects. It was when she started sneaking out that she met Jay, who became a close friend, and the main figure in her life.
He'd take her hang-gliding, trekking through lush greenery and climbing trees, giving her freedom she'd never experienced before. Most importantly, he valued her for who she was. When the Nox crisis happened, however, her father made sure to keep her "safe" in the workshop, not out of concern for her, but for his legacy. After the situation calmed down, she found out Jay had survived, but only in a physical sense. Those blank grey eyes held none of the spark of life she'd known. She visited the care centre as often as she could, but every time, it became more and more painfully clear. He was gone.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS? Rose has not abandoned crafting and construction, although her creations have an artistic flair with bright colours and floral motifs, to differentiate them from her father's works. Because she tends to experiment and get ahead of herself, rather than relying on tried and tested methods, sometimes the projects don't turn out quite as intended. Besides this, she's skilled at woodcrafting, something she and Jay learned together.
Her creativity is a strength not just when it comes to constructing items, but thinking on her feet and finding solutions to problems. Another merit is her willingness to work with others as often as possible, as long as nobody dominates a task too much. She thinks her curiosity is more of a strength than it is - while it can be helpful at times, it can just as often land her in trouble.
WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS? One of the things Rose hates most is being alone. This makes solo projects difficult, she favours group projects even if the people involved are likely to conflict with her. If it's something that can only be done by one person, she prefers to have someone around to talk to while working on it. Despite her need for company and casual friendship, she doesn't like to get too close to people, as she's afraid of losing them. Her worst fear is being unable to protect someone.
She also prefers to follow her own rules, which as a member of an organisation, causes obvious problems. If someone gives commands she doesn't like, or too harshly, that's when her defensive side shows - a side that hides unease from bad memories. Something else linked to said memories, and that she hasn't fully acknowledged, is her perfectionism. For all her apparent wildness, she still feels the need to put 100% into everything she does, and while she pretends to laugh off failures, they get to her.
As for secrets, she doesn't let on who her father is, as she wants to break all ties with him. She never tells anyone her real name, in case they make the connection.
WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED? A new start, but more than that, she wants to take action in a way that she couldn't before. What she needs is to see the difference she and the other Zephyrs are making, and to be part of a family-like dynamic of people who truly value her.
WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT? Partly, it was to get away from her father, and start a new life with a new identity. The other reason is she wishes she could have helped Jay like he helped her, so this is a way to protect people from the Nox, and make sure they don't end up like him.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS CHARACTER CHANGE AND DEVELOP? Rose needs to mellow out over time, and make peace with her past enough that she can set aside issues with authority, as well as truly let people in. Reasonable higher-ups, and gradually getting close enough to a friend that she can confide in them, would help a great deal.
PITCH A SMALL SUBPLOT THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHARACTER. I'd like to explore how she copes with not being able to truly "save" people who have been infected by the Nox, as in being faced with the shells of themselves they've been reduced to. This could lead to trying too hard to get stronger, to defeat as many Nox as possible, and of course going about it the wrong way. A more positive route (although the two wouldn't be mutually exclusive) would be trying to find a way to help former hosts.
It would also be interesting to see how she'd deal with a friend getting hurt, especially if she wasn't in a position to help them, as well as how others respond to her tendency to get hurt protecting others.
WHAT WAS YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME? WHAT IS THE CODENAME THEY NOW GO BY AS A ZE? Name by birth was Odette Fouquet (a suuuuper embarrasing rhyme.) Now she goes by Iris.
DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER'S MASK AND APPEARANCE. Iris' mask is a handsome, if austere, piece of ceramic, expertly hand-crafted in the style of the hoverbikers that flit through the skies of Rig. Its sharp edges and angular style are crafted in the starkest facsimile of the human face, leaving its intended sex and the sex of its wearer underneath ambiguous. Underneath, her eyes are as blue as the skies she soars in, and a short crop of blonde hair frames an often-smiling face as androgynous as her mask. The wearer herself stands just under six and a half feet tall, intimidating by anyone's standards; her muscular, athletic figure usually strains against the sleeveless shirts and shorts she feels comfortable wearing in more athletic counters, and her skin is the healthy tan of a young woman who spends her time in the skies. (Inspiration)
WHAT IS A STRANGER'S FIRST IMPRESSION UPON MEETING THEM? HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SEE THEMSELVES? Iris' height and musculature is immediately disarming, but so too is her charm. Far from some golem used for intimidation factor, she sees herself as a particularly large stuffed animal, open and gregarious without being overbearing. She's a person who is just as comfortable gabbing for hours as she is to spend those hours with her head in the clouds.
WHERE DID THEY GROW UP? WHERE DO THEY FEEL AT HOME? Iris was one of the many young men and women who spent their lives in the skies and atop the buildings of Rig. The hang-gliding and hoverbiking communities were more than just lovers of idle pastimes, they were followers of a way of life, with a sort of easy-going rapport between family units that would often translate to a support system. The vertical gardens of Rig and the small, lush markets on its rooftops needed people to tend them, and Iris grew up happily entrenched in such a lifestyle. She grew through the typical rebelliousness of the high-flying hoverbikers (riding your bike too fast, not holding onto someone while sitting secondary, not wearing your protective mask to keep out the bugs, wind, and sun...) into a girl with a sunny disposition and a belief in the goodness of people, similar to those she grew up with. She is still most at ease in the skies, riding a bike or lounging atop one of the gardens that dots the rooftops of Rig.
WHO ARE (WERE) THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THEIR LIVES? The "high-flyers" are taught to love all those who live their lives in the skies of Rig as though they were all surrogate parents. This "takes a village" mantra helps expose children to the potential wealth of knowledge and skill available in every human, but it also helped blunt the feelings of loss that one might feel if they lost a parent before their time. Especially during the darkest days of the infection, when Nox were a constant threat, this policy helped comfort those who may otherwise have lost their entire family. It may seem strange to those who dwell in the streets, but it is an open-hearted, loose definition of family that the high-flyers have embraced - although it can be an insular one, as high-flyers are also expected to "tread wind currents," so to speak, and remain to impart their knowledge into the next generation in turn. So, while Iris still obviously loves her parents, she finds it hard to consider them - or anyone - more important to her than anyone else. The whole community, everyone you may see when you look up to the skies, is equally dear to her. Call that naive if you want.
WHAT IS THEIR PROFESSION, SKILL OR LIFESTYLE? WHAT DO THEY THINK THEIR STRENGTHS ARE? WHAT ARE THEIR ACTUAL STRENGTHS? Iris is still very much a high-flyer at heart, and has always spent much of her free time atop her hoverbike, tending to the rooftop gardens gardens or searching for the city's prettiest vistas from a birds-eye view. This also makes her adept at location scouting and surveying, as she knows crannies of buildings and potential meeting spots that those who've spent their lives on the ground could never dream of.
Occasionally, while enjoying a perch on some high-up branch or seated atop her bike enjoying stained glass in the morning sun, she'll start to scribble out some of her own ideas for the city's architecture, new places where greenery could flow or an enclave for the high-flyers could go. Unfortunately, she's a little too late to be much of the pioneer that she thinks she is, but still, her inventive and asymmetrical approach to problem-solving and endless wellspring of creativity shouldn't go unappreciated.
WHAT ARE THEIR FEARS, FLAWS AND SECRETS? Iris would tell you that her fears are no different than anyone else's - Nox left their scars on all of Rig, and Iris fears them as most sane people do. She also fears losing anyone close to her, so she would tell you, but the truth is that there is no one who is truly close to her; in the past she's skirted the edges of promiscuity, and even to this day she moves through life as though she's still atop her hoverbike, keeping her acquaintances exhilarating but fleeting. Forging deep, long-lasting connections that are unique between two people don't come easily for her; they weren't an important part of the culture she was raised in.
WHAT DO THEY WANT MOST? WHAT DO THEY ACTUALLY NEED? Iris desires nothing more than to chip in and keep a post-Nox world spinning - she wants a world where she can still soar through the skies, with a whiff of soil in her nose and the sun on her back and her mask. This too, though, is a sort of "common" desire, not one really specific to her. What she needs is something that goes beyond the communal, something that truly motivates her beyond what she thinks is best for those around her.
WHY DID THEY JOIN THE ZEPHYR EXTINCT? Iris needed to create her own identity. Communal need is all that she's ever known, and creating a whole name and mask for herself - even if they still bear some influence from her old life - is one step towards becoming a person independent from everything she's ever known. It should be healthy for her. The Zephyr Extinct forced her to make those choices for herself, while still allowing her to serve the City of Rig's common good. It was the perfect compromise for her.
HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THIS CHARACTER CHANGE AND DEVELOP? I'd like to see Iris fully achieve her own individuality over the course of this game, pouring more and more of her own drives and desires into this new identity she's made. All she's ever known is a happy-go-lucky lifestyle that values pitching in and communal values, which is important - it's given her a strong moral compass - but one that's cost her quite a bit of her own individuality. In a way, she's someone who has been given more freedom with this name and mask than she had in her old life. I would like to see that explored more.
PITCH A SMALL SUBPLOT THAT WOULD BE PERSONALLY MEANINGFUL TO YOUR CHARACTER. Since Iris still likes to indulge in taking to the skies on her bike or in a hang-glider, I'd like to see someone in one of those insular, "everyone recognizes everyone" style gardens recognize her (because how can you not get a load of the 6'6 girl with the loudspeaker voice???) and challenge her on whether becoming a Ze operative is just a flight of fancy for her, and whether this new mask and lifestyle was worth abandoning the freedom and the community that everyone she's ever known has tried to foster.
