Vital Statistics:
Reference Description:
Background:
Mistress of multiple religions, keeper of lore and mystical traditions, and voice of the people, Aria Summers has had a long-standing involvement in the ever-looming apocalypse. Unlike so many other doomsayers who would give the faith-inclined majority a bad name, Ms. Summers focused not on the coming apocalypse as a sign of judgement, but instead as the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Her life's work came to a head as her message of peace and acceptance was tested against the criticality of mass extinction.
As a result she was quite surprised when she was extended an offer to join the Arks program on the Vitae, as she had quite assumed that preserving active faith was an after thought to the scientific lot involved in its creation. As a local leader with strong ties to the community, and the ability to calm civilians, the offer was a natural one that would also naturally be met with controversy.
Historical Profile:
Psychological Profile:
Psychographic Profile:
- Player Name: LegionPothIX
- Character Name: Aria Summers
- Character Age: 42
- Character Gender: F
- Nationality: European Confederacy
- Race: Caucasian (Celtic Brythons)
- Position: Civilian, Theologian
- Title: Keeper of Traditions
Reference Description:
Background:
Mistress of multiple religions, keeper of lore and mystical traditions, and voice of the people, Aria Summers has had a long-standing involvement in the ever-looming apocalypse. Unlike so many other doomsayers who would give the faith-inclined majority a bad name, Ms. Summers focused not on the coming apocalypse as a sign of judgement, but instead as the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Her life's work came to a head as her message of peace and acceptance was tested against the criticality of mass extinction.
As a result she was quite surprised when she was extended an offer to join the Arks program on the Vitae, as she had quite assumed that preserving active faith was an after thought to the scientific lot involved in its creation. As a local leader with strong ties to the community, and the ability to calm civilians, the offer was a natural one that would also naturally be met with controversy.
Historical Profile:
- Born to a pair of atheistic scientists, Aria ironically fell in love with the notion of gods and goddesses, despite her parents evident disapproval. She spent her formative years investigating all religions for fragments of truth, while roaming the wastelands of what once the European continent. This research was supported by her parents who believed that, with enough exposure, she would see them for the inconsistent and incoherent mess they believed these religions to be. She began her early years studying witchcraft, druidism and shamanism, before being branching out to others. Taoism introduced her to Confucian practices, and from there her heart and mind traveled the globe.
For many of her age, the events of Citadel Station catalyzed her in a new direction. Her mission turned from understanding, to implementation, and like so many others she sought to bring down the barriers between religions. Practicing one's faith and ideals does not preclude another to practice thier's. Entire nations were founded upon this concept, and now she believed that humanity must become ready for the next step: accepting that there are no enemies of a loving heart.
As such Aria spent the last twenty years breaking down boarders between faiths and facilitating mutual respect between humanity in terms of religious differences. - The list of religions older than those of Aramaic origins (IE: Christianity Judaism, Islam, etc), and still practiced to this day is long and involved. As are such traditions and practices in celebration of those beliefs. Sufficive to say that mankind is a very spiritual creature and in any reasonable sample size of people there is bound to be at least one devout practitioner of high distinction to lead other religious practitioners.
While some may argue this form of “diversity credit” undermines the very concept of “the best and brightest” nothing could be further from the truth. While once the cornerstone of most societies religious scholars have in recent decades moved toward an advisory role in society. That is until the emergence of the Devastators reignited old superstitions.
This re-ignition—this return to the old ways—massively influenced Aria's future, and made her invitation to the Vitae possible. As smoldering coals turned to raging bonfires the message of unity was tainted with the fact that the people of Earth were united in opposition to an enemy force.
In the scientific community, this undercut many religious leaders, and as a result the pool of acceptable representatives was narrowed away from two fringes: the god loves everyone unificationists, and the god hates everyone-but-us purists. The result is that the moderates were elevated and chief among them sat Aria Summers representing the "Old Religions". - Two key principles separated Aria Summers from other religious candidates. The first was her teachings which is informed by the second, her involvement in multiple religious communities. Unlike so many other patrons of deific obedience, Summers advocated for the education of mankind as a requirement of its survival. That faith, while as important as it is, is not a substitute for knowledge. That, as many monotheistic religions taught, being created in the image of an all knowing god without being all knowing ourselves, defines learning as the challenge by which people may come to know their creator.
As such she believes enlightenment, and peace of the soul, is at the center of all philosophical study.
Psychological Profile:
- Gregarious (Social Butterfly)
- Omni-Mystic
- Tradecraft
Gregarious (Social Butterfly)
At its most fundamental level all religions are about one thing: people. It brings them together, and teaches them values. It allows them to share their interests, and underwrites their communication skills. Moreover it creates an environment that elevates social affluence, and in this regard Aria Summers shines.
For the most part, Aria truly believes people want to represent themselves to the best of their own abilities, and chooses to treat them as if they had. In this way, and in several others, Aira Summers has honed her given raw charismatic force, and natural beauty into a light of social brilliance.
This strength is paired to the Naive weakness.
Omni-Mystic
Almost every religion known to man can be clustered by way of the central tenets they observe. While being studied in every religion is blatantly impossible for a single person of her age, being studied in the root sources of most is something that she has not only done, but has done with extreme efficacy.
As a certified practitioner of many religions, and active preacher, Aria Summers seeks to emphasize their commonalities rather than highlighting their differences. Regardless of the religion, Aria is extremely knowledgeable on the organized practices and superstitious beliefs of mankind, as well as how they have evolved throughout the ages.
Tradecraft
A term most commonly used to refer to the spy business; creating, managing, and living multiple lives, identities, and personalities is a skill Aira has learned as a consequence to overcome the stigma attached to her trade. Both the in-group stigma of practicing multiple religions, and the out-group stigma of practicing any religion at all.
Aria Summers possesses multiple identities—none of which are fake—by which she is known to certain sub-groups of society. Even as a certified practitioner of multiple religions there is little cause for concern that her personas in each may be compromised, strictly because it is rare that worshipers of Innana might rub shoulders with the followers of Christ or Jehovah. These personas are largely known by titles granted to, and held by, Aria Summers rather than by her actual name. In that regard, the persona she carries with her is who she is to those individuals, and the collections of these personas is who she is to herself.
This strength is paired to the Cloistered weakness.- Cloistered
- Conflicted
- Naive
Cloistered
Devotion to one religion is taxing enough but devotion to all of them whilst roaming the wastelands leaves little time to do anything else. Though few people know who Aria Summers really is she is isn’t one of those people. Having spent so much time devoted to research, practice, and mastery has left her with little time to learn other skills. As a consequence she has a low level of technical understanding; far beneath that of the average plebeian.
While she acknowledges technology is a thing, and is important to every-day life, she just doesn’t have a handle on it. As a consequence, anything more than the most trivial task involving modern technology is a colossal undertaking for this religious savant.
Her level of technological ineptitude can get quite embarrassing from time to time, as at one point she had to have explained to her that NO4H is not just “a switchboard operator”, but an actual artificial intelligence. Just as others rely on her for spiritual support, she tends to rely on others for technological support.
This weakness is paired to the Tradecraft strength.
Conflicted
Almost all of religious history has been built up around conflict. From resolving inner conflict, to extending imperial control over entire continents, and waging holy wars for personal power. Everything about the idea of religion is mired in its failing in practice and this weighs heavily on Aria. More so than other practitioners of faith as she has studied faith in its entirety, and in its native context this existential conflict has found its way into her very soul.
This weakness is paired to the Omni-Mystic strength.
Naive
While an optimist wouldn’t consider their optimism as a drawback there is a certain naïveté that comes with seeing only the silver lining and not any part of the cloud that it is in. Because she is filled to bursting with a positive message, hope, and other theologically significant buzzwords; Aria often overlooks the more negative aspects of life that those words are counter to.
As a Wiccan witch she knows the importance of balance, but finding that balance is something she often struggles to do.
This weakness is paired with the Gregarious strength.
Psychographic Profile:
- With so much spiritual influence in her life there isn’t any object in her possession that couldn’t be considered a totem, or vessel of spirituality, the real question is what they all mean.
- Knowledge and understanding bring about the inner light she seeks to not only shine from herself, but also encourage others to shine so to spread human radiance throughout the universe.
- "Leave everything better than when you found it." That basic concept is sewn into the very fabric of human faith, in every religion, and tradition she has found to be practiced by human kind. Though, there is some debate on what "better" means, there is little debate that this is her principle goal.
- Having one's self identity so intrinsically tied to one's faith often results in feeling mitigated, or dismissed by other's dismissal of those superstitions. Deep inside, hidden in a dark place, lies the fear that she was chosen for her skills that her faith has led her to acquire, and not for any appreciation of her self-identity as a person of faith. Furthermore, being seen as something different by all begs the question if there is anything uniquely her.