"Schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein, Schäfchen ruhn und Vögelein, Garten und Wiese verstummt, auch nicht ein Bienchen mehr summt..."
Emerson cherished his mother singing "Sleep, my little prince, fall asleep" even when her voice was not quite captivating. When he asked about it out of the blue, she told him that it was a prominent lullaby used throughout the German Empire during the Great War gifted by her dying grandmother, who encouraged her to flee to America as their home country was beginning to unravel. Even after Emerson got older, his mother still hummed the lullaby while preoccupied with chores around the house. It also bought her solace during the months of uncertainty in the wake of the failed coup in the nation's capital.
And now, the lullaby was etched into oblivion.
"...Luna mit silbernem Schein gucket zum Fenster herein, schlafe bei silbernem Schein, schlafe, mein Prinzchen, schlaf ein, schlaf ein, schlaf ein!"
Gradually waking up from his unanticipated slumber, Emerson noticed his hands were bound against a metal pole of a large shelf. His attempts of breaking free only hurt with the rope rubbing against his skin. It wasn't that complicated to believe that the "kind" cashier did this to him. And considering that he came on to her too strong with the question, Emerson didn't hold any grudge against the cashier for protecting her brother—which seemed significant enough to harm someone. Suddenly, he heard the storefront door opening followed by an argument between two people. One of the voices was clearly the cashier's as the other was entirely unfamiliar to Emerson.
And then, in front of Emerson, the door slowly opened to reveal a much younger man still in his work uniform. It was clear the stranger worked for the nearby mining company since coal dust coated his uniform from head to toe. All of that dust made it nearly difficult for Emerson to notice the company patch on the miner's right shoulder confirming his assumption. It admittedly was intimidating to witness such a muscular man approaching but he didn't hide his concerned gaze—something that caught Emerson entirely off-guard. The miner got down on one knee and began untying the restraints while glancing at the head for any signs of injuries. "At least you aren't bleedin'. You alright?"
"Y-yes." Emerson responded as his hands were freed from the metal pole but still remained wary of the warm reception. It was how his family managed for so long.
The miner got up and then offered his hand to the now freed Emerson. "I wanna apologize for my sis and her... firm swing, Mr. Henzel."
"You know me?" Emerson asked directly. "Then, you must be Gilbert Hensley."
Gilbert nodded. "That yellow truck isn't exactly concealed in a town like this, sir. Just like an elephant walking down main street. But even then, I was told you were coming down sometime this week."
Emerson accepted the offer and got up from the cold wooden floor with some assistance. He quickly noticed the cashier from a distance, staring at both men, before walking away to the other side of the service station. She was still uneased by the whole circumstance even if she did a poor job of hiding it. But there wasn't time to explore the tension. Gilbert began making his way to the back exit and reached for the door handle. He opened the door and then turned to the truck driver. "We ought to leave for the area now. Pinkertons will begin their evening patrols soon as the sun's down for the day. And trust me, they're a fucking headache to deal with."
Gilbert and Emerson made their way outside of the building and turned to notice two Pinkertons leaning against their assigned 1949 Ford Fordor, which was parked in front of the moving truck. It had the insignia of the private security and detective agency—a navy blue simplification of an unblinking human eye staring straight with the bottom left slightly cut off to look like a searchlight beam—standing out against the cream white paint job. There was an audible sigh coming from Gilbert as he immediately recognized one of the officers. That officer stopped leaning against the car and approached them with a wide grin on his face.
"'They're a fucking headache to deal with.' Come on, boy, that isn't a way to treat an officer of the law—especially around a stranger."
Steven Rogers had never set foot inside the White House during his time as Captain America due to the war. Yet, a rumor quickly spread regarding plans for a grand ceremony to honor the heroes that fought against the Nazi regime. It was there that the newly appointed President Truman would've awarded them with the Medal of Honor. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, Steven was unable to attend the ceremony; but he found out that he was awarded the Purple Heart instead. That event took place seventy-seven years ago, and now he was invited to be introduced to the forty-sixth President of the United States. Steven was, of course, honored that the president wanted to see him.
But he was unable to shake the feeling that the visit was for an entirely different reason than what was told.
Many staff members in the White House stopped whatever they were doing and stared at Steven whenever he walked past them. Some were speechless and astonished, while others mumbled at their colleagues about him. It was frankly an awkward experience that he wanted nothing more to do, but it was impossible to avoid given his renewed notoriety. Eventually, Steven was escorted to the office of the president's personal secretary, located right next to the Oval Office. He saw the secretary standing by their desk when he entered the room. They greeted the guest of honor and then walked him over to the next room. The president looked up from the stack of papers on the Hoover desk and smiled delightfully.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Captain Rogers." President Amelia Griffiths extended her hand out, waiting for the captain to accept it. Her handshake was unexpectedly firm for someone that presented feminine with her bright red skirt suit and the cream silk scarf wrapped around her neck. Not to mention that Steven caught a glimpse at her muscular arm, deducing that she frequently worked out. Then, she gently let go and gestured towards the chair positioned in front of the desk. Amelia maintained the same smile from earlier, with her voice smooth as silk, while making her way to the desk. "Please have a seat here. There's so much to talk about in such a short time."
Steven sat down on the chair and instantly noticed his shield leaning against the desk. Finally, it received a much-needed restoration after enduring years of usage on the frontline. Amelia saw his shoulders unknowingly relaxing in relief of seeing the shield again. She reached and carefully placed it on the desk, which was heavier than envisioned. "It is quite astonishing to be holding the authentic Mighty shield. And an incredible honor to be handing it back to you, of course."
"Mighty?" Steven wasn't able to contain his confusion at the nickname.
"Just a nickname for your shield." Amelia quickly clarified before disregarding the whole subject with a dismissive wave. "But I don't want to bore you with history. I wanna discuss something rather sensitive with you before the ceremony."
"I am listening, ma'am."
Amelia smiled. "I assume you've been briefed about the current crisis."
"Yes, I know enough about the vigilante issue." Steven nodded confidently.
"Well, there is another crisis underway. I take it that you haven't learned about the X-gene then?" Amelia asked with a tone that was heavily inclined towards nuisance rather than disappointment.
"No ma'am. I have not." Steven shook his head.
"How unfortunate." Amelia sighed and made a mental note to have a friendly chat with Director Fury later. She then began figuring out a way to explain what occurred to a man out of his time. Thankfully, she gathered a few pointers for her son and ultimately felt confident enough to answer. "To keep it simple, the mutant gene causes a person to abruptly receive unprecedented abilities during puberty. We learned of its existence a couple of years after your... "death." Some of these mutants created groups in the service of protecting mutantkind in general. One group in particular resorted to acts of terror to achieve a world under their rule while the other tried to protect the world as well as promote mutant rights."
"What happened?"
"Both sides suffered casualties and went into hiding to seemingly recover. In recent years, they resurfaced with their isolationist policies abandoned. Now, they are preparing to make a move on an international scale." Amelia explained.
"And what have they done to warrant our country's concern, ma'am?" Steven asked almost innocently while Amelia clearly looked uneased. Thankfully, for the president, her personal secretary interrupted the conversation with something significant.
"Pardon the interruption, but Senator Kelly is here." The secretary stated while holding onto a clipboard on her up to her chest, waiting for a response before returning to her work.
"Bring her in." Amelia turned back to Steven and breathed a sigh of relief for Senator Kelly's arrival. "Perhaps she can better explain the situation to you."
"Good morning, madam president. It's always a privilege to meet." Senator Kelly greeted Amelia while walking past the secretary as Steven began getting up. The senator's eyes lit up in delight upon seeing the man himself in the flesh. She originally thought that the rumors of his return were dramatized until now, which left her quite bewildered at the sight. "And you must be Captain America, correct?"
Steven grinned at the question and extended his hand out to the senator. "I sure hope so, miss..."
"Oh, where are my manners?" The senator took his hand and shook it gently as if she was handling a delicate doll. "Caroline Kelly. My father would've cherished meeting you if he wasn't taken away for us too soon."
"I am sorry to hear that." Steven expressed sympathy at her loss, which she appreciated profoundly.
Amelia went over to Caroline and offered her a seat on the couch, ready to justify the senator's presence today. It wasn't to be the first senator to meet with Captain America before the others had their chance. No, it had everything to do with her father and his life's work before his tragic death at the hands of an assassin. "You came at an excellent time. I was about to tell the captain about the situation with the Brotherhood and the X-Men."
In all honestly, Caroline wasn't at all surprised to learn of the real reason behind her presence today. She knew that her father and his work were important to the country—something that he made sure to declare whenever possible. And there was so much information to sort through that it was still an ongoing matter despite being in office for a while. Regardless, Caroline had confidence that she could find what the president was looking for and expressed that to her. "Respectfully, my father was more of the expert on that matter. But I can happily share everything he gathered while in office. His paperwork isn't exactly the neatest but the information you're seeking will be there for sure."
Amelia valued the senator's quick response to the urgent and hasty request considering what her father did for a living as an essential senator for the country. "That would be much appreciated, especially if it can be fast-tracked by the day's end."
"Why the rush?" Steven asked another question, which was getting on Amelia's nerves at this point.
"I won't say much until after the ceremony, but learning about both groups is essential for the upcoming assignment." Amelia attempted to explain without giving too much away to the captain. Then, she took a quick glance at the grandfather clock and noticed it was near noon—only half an hour until the ceremony began. "Speak of the devil; the ceremony's about to start soon. Wait for me outside while I have a few words with the senator. Won't take long, I swear."
Braindance editing was something else entirely foreign for someone that partially studied the technology. It was not like modifying the mass-produced braindances for a clientele. So much information to digest all at once—sensations, sights, smells, sounds, and tastes. And working on pornographic material heightened those senses to the extreme. The pleasure of being loved in that fashion was incredibly addictive, even for an experienced sex worker. Fortunately, it didn't take much to get accustomed to the raw porno BDs from Jig-Jig Street and associates to the Mox.
Silvain Cellier De Roos was in the midst of your average one-night stand at a dingy motel room. An unfaithful husband tied to the messy bedroom while his mistress rummaged through a barrel bag for the right plaything from the client. When she pulled out the discipline and whipped the motel desk hard, the cheating spouse was instantly excited and eager for the night. And yet, he wasn't unable to stop thinking about his cherished and naive wife back home in Rancho Coronado. There was a sense of dread for violating the sacred vows made over a decade ago.
On the other hand, the mistress was furious with the man after learning of his married life two weeks ago. She wanted to tell his wife the truth and confront him about his infidelity. But he had the eddies to spare upon his "naughty lass." And it paid for the monthly rent at the megabuilding, not to mention enough to pay for groceries before the next paycheck. So, for now, she planned on taking out her anger on the bastard with the whip until she bled him dry of money. Only then will she act—even if it means losing a wealthy client.
Those were some of the sensations that Silvain underwent constantly whenever he was working for the Mox. And while fascinating to listen to and analyze for days, most customers weren't psychologists nor wanted to be reminded of relationship troubles. That's why braindance editors are sought after—to maintain the illusion of bliss. Or to preserve the heinous deeds upon others for the extreme braindances that sickos treasure. For Silvain, it was just another day of dealing with raw materials for a decent wage.
It took a few to remove all of the "unpleasant thoughts" and enhance certain ones in the memory. But before Silvain could've finished it, a familiar voice called out his name and followed by loud banging on the metal double door. He carefully exited out of the memory, making sure to save his progress, and took off the BD Wreath. And with enough time for Marina Galanili, Silvain's only confidante in the Mox, to make her presence known. Her polished olive skin and brown formal french braided hair (with hints of light caramel) definitely signaled that she was ready for her shift.
Marina leaned on the desk with a sarcastic smirk. "Did I barge in at the right moment?"
"Just your standard religious roleplay between some troubled souls." Silvain sarcastically remarked as he made his way towards the desk, looking for his pack of smokes. "But I'm guessing you didn't come all this way to learn that."
Marina reached into her pockets and pulled out a sterling silver lighter, placing it in front of him. "There's a customer that requested you in one of the private lounges."
"Didn't you tell them that I was unavailable?" Silvain asked right when he found the pack and pulled out two cigarettes. Marina took one of them and lit it relatively fast with the lighter.
"He's apparently a big tipper. Has eddies that we can't afford to turn away." Marina replied while fetching the ashtray for the other side of the desk before taking a puff of the cigarette. "Susie Q would've interrupted your session herself if I wasn't around the dressing room."
Silvain took his time with the other cigarette to prepare himself for his other job. He sighed and then stubbed the cigarette against the ashtray. "Alright, I will entertain him. Is it alright if I freshen up with your things?"
"Of course, dear." Marina smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Just make sure that everything's back in its place when you're done."
Silvain smiled back and made his way out of that dimmed basement. The brightening lights for the dressing room caught him off-guard initially. But he made his way to Marina's corner of the makeup stand. Getting freshened up didn't take too long for Silvain since he wasn't doing anything intense today. Just a spray (or two) of fancy Italian perfume and adjustments to his hair to look somewhat messy was enough to get the customer's full attention. And when he was almost done, he received a text from Marina:
oh one more thing. customer's name is eddie. make us rich love! c:
It didn’t take long to get to the lounge from the dressing room given how close they were to each other. Silvain didn’t know much about the customer other than his name and wealth, but he still took some time to prepare. Even known he handled wealthy intoxicated customers before, they were easily satisfied and willing to give out big tips if given a good enough performance. At the door, he made sure to correct any obvious imperfections before making his grand entrance to impress the client.
Upon entering the private room, Silvain instantly noticed the customer was a white blonde woman dressed up like a suit. The way she was waiting for him to show made Silvain uncomfortable, which was impressive given the kind of shit he was used to by now. Still, he managed to keep his cool in front of the customer. It didn’t help that she was just staring at him without saying or doing anything. So, it was clear that Silvain had to be the one to break the ice. And that was what he did while getting ready to stand his ground—with force if required.
“Umm, hi there… Think you might be in the wrong room.” Silvain rubbed the back of his neck while maintaining a rather awkward smile. “I can have someone help you out, miss…”
Eddie found herself smiling at the young man's discomfort, the kind of smile that rose like the morning star across the plain of her smooth and undecorated pale lips, giving them a warmth they just wouldn't have had otherwise. There were times that Eddie genuinely forgot that her appearance could unsettle and intimidate; especially wearing a dark grey pants suit with simple matching button-up blouse that hugged every curve she had, a dim 'sheen' to the bleeding edge material. A useful tool for the jobs she had spent her life working at, but not something she spent time reveling in. When those lips parted and the smile rolled off her lips, the tone that followed it was just as warm.
"I thought the point of Lizzie's was that you didn't have to be too nervous about who you met in a private booth?" She didn't await the answer, it was just a curiosity; Night City wasn't her city. Prague and Vienna were more her style. Brows raised as her eyes widened from their steely gaze of before, softening the features on her face as she went from an overly comfortable lean back in the booth's seat to scootching forward, sitting taller and leaning just ever-so forward as she took a quick and hard sip of the synth-Scotch before continuing, "My name is 'Eddie', although it isn't really, but as far as Night City is concerned...yeah, I'm Eddie. I'm the new resident Fixer at Afterlife along with Dino Dinovic, if you've ever heard of him?"
She imagined he had. Everyone knew Dino, that was the main reason V had left the main Fixer spot of Afterlife to him. At first Eddie considered the stand-offish nature of Silvain might be misplaced, but then Eddie recalled just how dangerous she was, and in all the ways she was. She had allowed herself to be 'weaponized' as Eddie, Night City Fixer, and with that came a certain required understanding people wouldn't always love being in a room alone with you.
It didn't seem to affect her.
"I need a Brain Dance edited. It needs to be seamless and able to fool AI. I reached out to the woman who used to inhabit the basement you do now, Judy, and she mentioned I should check with the new 'basement dweller' of Lizzie's. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but I need someone without any corporate ties for this. If you can pull it off, we'll have further business to discuss...as for payment, well, there's a reason they call me 'Eddie.'"
Silvain chuckled at her request while concealing his skepticism of the newest fixer at Night City. It wasn’t the first time that he heard of fresh fixers that either end fading into nothingness or disappointing the wrong person. But he was concerned about how she managed to obtain so much information on the previous editor. There was a moment that Silvain considered just calling over the other Moxes to deal with ‘Eddie.’ And yet, he was too curious about the offer to let her go.
“You make it sound so simple. I need more dets than that.”
"Nothing about Night City is simple, except the brutality of it."
She stood slowly, as not to alarm the man, the grey-blue eyes of the Fixer never leaving his own as she made her way casually around the small table, toward the door, and inches from him. The tone remained constant, and only the volume of her voice lowering. "Sorry, Silvain, but with the amount of eddies attached to this and the risk on all sides it has to be like this: in or out, right now, right here. Take the job, you'll get your details. Don't, and I walk out and you never have to worry about meeting me in closed quarters again. You decide."
The only difference in her eyes, this time, was the look of true sorrow she wasn't afraid to show him.
Silvain looked away for the woman and then, without any hesitation, responded. “I suppose there isn’t any law nor restraint in ‘this seething cauldron of vice and depravity’ of a city… Okay, when’s the deadline?”
Her answer was a simple, small, rueful smile. The implication? Now.
“And the price?” Silvain asked directly without the bullshit. “Tricking a corpo AI with an edited BD isn’t as easy as you think. Not to mention the lack of info makes my job a lot more demanding.”
They were so close, now, that the very break of rhythm in her breathing was audible to Silvain as he mentioned not knowing what it took to trick an AI. Her eyes lifted up in quiet calculation, to the left for a heartbeat before rolling to the right, and once again falling right back down to center on his gaze, "Twenty-thousand. Half upfront, half upon completion. More for later jobs if it works out."
Eddie knew it was a big number for a BD edit, even a demanding one. Trauma Team Gold was 18,000eb for a year's coverage, without the corporate discount. If the job went south, if it came back to Silvain's door, he'd need more than Trauma Team Gold to save his skin. Fair price. And she imagined 'Lizzie' would want her cut, given it was her basement.
"If you're interested in future jobs, anyway," a slight rise in the pitch of her voice, as she considered the reality that the jobs she offered might get too hot for Silvain, and he might decline, even where no other Merc in the city would. "A runner will deliver the BD and have all the details you could want. Thanks for the time, stay safe."
Her hand reached past him, the door opened, and she walked out. Something about the bar gave her the creeps.
Silvain made his way over to the couch and took a seat in order to process everything that just happened. It wasn’t anything like he dealt with before since moving to Night City. Hell, even his previous occupations were never as tense. There wasn’t much he could’ve done now except wait for the runner to arrive whenever. But first, he needed to calm down with a few inhales of that delightful happy puffs—a drug that provided instant tranquility and delight (thus the play on words of happy pills). All he needed to do was simply get the inhaler from his jacket pocket and then get ready to breathe in the wonder drug.
Silvain listened to the heist that was crafted and conceived by no one else than the mysterious 'Eddie.' It was an ambitious and daring venture to go after Militech for their prized possession: a motherfucking Militech Behemoth. And then, his interest peaked upon hearing that the heist needed a netrunner to monitor the target. Doing a simple hack and dash job in the comforts of your own station always sounded delightful. Yet, so was stealing from Militech in-person to fuck them over some more. However, after listening to 'Eddie' talk about the warehouse, there wasn't any mention of the braindance formulated with real sweat and tears. So, Silvain did indeed have a question of his own.
"What about the BD, hon?" Silvain tossed over the braindance case to the tablet in a disrespectful manner. To say that he seemed annoyed was an understatement. "I am hoping that my artistic passive wasn't wasted for nothing. It costs eddies after all, 'Eddie.'"
“‘So few want to be rebels anymore. And out of those few, most, like myself, scare easily.'”
C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T
C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y
Silvain Cellier De Roos _________________________________________________________ 24 | ♂ | Homosexual _________________________________________________________ Single | Prostitute/Technician | Mox
P H Y S I C A L P R O F I L E P H Y S I C A L P R O F I L E
▼ P H Y S I C A L T R A I T S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Build - Tone ► Ethnicity - Caucasian ► Hair Colour - Brown ► Eye Colour - Green ► Other - A right arm sleeve tattoo going from the shoulder to the hand featuring a bluejay in the center -
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S C H A R A C T E R N O T E S
▼ C H A R A C T E R I T E M S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► DR-12 Quasar (Basic) - A semi- automatic revolver. ► Tsunami Nue (Luxury) - A semi- automatic pistol with a XC-10 Alecto silencer. "Obtained" from a client that happened to be a Tyger Claw member. ► Xiphos (Basic) - A bronze one-handed shortsword from a past life. ► Tetratronic Mk.3 (Expensive) - System Reset, Reboot Optics, Sonic Shock, Synapse Burnout, and Memory Wipe ► Camillo RAM Manager (Expensive) - Enhanced with a RAM Upgrade ► Archer Quartz EC-L R275 (Basic) - An affordable sports car for the working people.
▼ K N O W N A S S O C I A T E S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Xian Zexian - Former member of the Tyger Claws and a netrunner for hire ► Marina Galanili - Stripper at Lizzie's Bar, member of the Mox, and a "close" friend ► Anatoliy "Crimson Iron" Kadnikov - A high-ranking Maelstrom member and frequent client
▼ S K I L L S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Gun In My Hand - The sheer determination that drives Silvain to do what he does best every single day. Whether it's pulling the trigger or meeting with a client, there's that willpower keeping him going until it's time to rest for the day. ► Sweet Tooth - Of course, willpower isn't enough for a person like Silvain to live one day at a time. Drugs, more specifically marijuana and happy pills, are sometimes the necessary push to wrap up an eventful day or get through the night with another client. And it hasn't stopped persisting in his mind for a long while. ► Dance in the Dark - Silvain witnessed his entire family being torn apart, overdoses, deaths, and even a cyberpsychosis or two. There were things that used to frighten him well, but an incident changed everything. Now that lack of fear is what drives him during a firefight regardless of his wellbeing. Of course, he isn't stupid and won't rush off into a fight without a plan. However, he won't have second doubts about killing someone or witnessing some terrible shit from a scavs' hideout. ► Ghosting - Given up by his mother, abandoned by his intended parents, and then witnessing the destruction of his chosen family caused Silvain to develop attachment issues towards any relationship—platonically and romantically. Back in New York City and Detriot, he often ghosted folks that he felt were getting close so as to avoid the headache of the inevitable demise. And being a sex worker ensured he was disparaged by society. The attachment issue is still persisting at Night City even among the Mox, with which he has only a few acquaintances. But he is slowly working on it with some help. -
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T
Silvain Cellier De Roos was born in the heart of the European Union, Brussels, to a surrogate mother and delivered to her close friend and his husband. Both of them worked for Euro Business Machines—a megacorpration that generalized in the manufacture of computer products, information technology and electronics—as project managers for the various departments. Working for a prestigious European-based megacorporation guaranteed them a luxurious life.
But for Silvain, he was never able to truly experience it.
In 2061, the hacker collective, r4n, leaked classified documents that tied EMB to a bloody coup attempt in Germany. Public support for the megacorporation quickly fell along with its stocks as investors began pulling out. Eventually, the European Union unanimously approved plans to prevent EMB from going bankrupt by transferring ownership to the German government. In addition, warrants were issued to individuals responsible for the coup attempt.
Silvain and his surrogate parents fled Brussels and sought sanctuary from the authorities in Sparta. Whatever wealth left was spent in brides and living arrangements, leaving them dirt poor with an outstanding warrant on the parents. Given he didn't remember much of his early childhood, Silvain wasn't struggling as much as his parents were to adjust to their new lives. But, it was his teenage years proved to be challenging.
At the start of his third year at gymnasium, one of his parents was abducted and coincidentally ended up in the hands of the German authorities. A few months later, the other parent ended up overdosing on smash and nearly committed suicide due to its destructive side effect. Fortunately, paramedics responded quickly enough to save his life at a nearby hospital; and yet, the authorities were alerted and soon apprehend him upon his recovery.
Silvain was all by himself and living on the streets.
That all changed when the Sacred Band bought Silvain into their life. It was one of the many gangs within Sparta constantly fighting for control and influence. Unlike the other gangs, Sacred Band was a refuge for the marginalized and oppressed folks across Greece. And that made them frequent targets for the police state and rival gangs. Silvain had to pull his own weight and soon found his knack with technology, which was highly appreciated by other members.
By 2071, Silvain was routinely repairing or modifying cyberware, weapons, gear, whatever required his talents. Sometimes he had to play the role of a ripperdoc to patch up a busted cybernetic on a wounded gang member. Still, despite the hardships and struggles, he loved being the technician of the gang. Plus, it paid extremely decently given his circumstances. Unfortunately, the golden age came to a sudden and brutal climax with the murder of the Sacred Band's leader.
Sacred Band and the other gangs of Sparta were rapidly and brutally targeted by the military police and mercs eager to claim the bounties during the early 2070s. Silvain, realizing that his life was in jeopardy, gathered his hard-earned eurobucks and used much of it to book passage to North America. He left behind the gang and his home country without a farewell to avoid drawing attention from the authorities and bounty hunters.
The first three years in the New United States were difficult but survivable compared to Grecce. Silvain operated a back-alley clinic in New York City as the local ripperdoc before moving west. In Detriot, he found decent work as a prostitute for two years while tinkering with braindances on the side. And then, he left further west after being nearly beaten to death by a powerful client and found himself in Night City.
Night City, despite being overrun by corporations and gangs, was easy for someone like Silvain to adjust rather fast. But what he didn't expect was learning about the Mox. Seeing the similarities between them and Sacred Band, Silvain didn't waste any time approaching them to offer his talents. At first, Susie "Q" wasn't looking for "any more strays" and not "running a charity." That was until their own braindance technician and editor left town out of the blue.
Nowadays, Silvain works for the basement of Lizzie's Bar with the leftover equipment for the last occupant as the Mox's own technician. On the side, however, he recently returned to sex work and started working for fixers in Night City to earn a little extra eddies. And with the uncertainty that comes with living in Night City, 2078 is going to look like an eventful year to Silvain.
D E T A I L E D A P P E A R A N C E D E T A I L E D A P P E A R A N C E
Silvain Cellier De Roos is an average height person whose body type is between skinny and tone. Being a Mox and a prostitute has made sure that eddies are spent on maintaining a fashion style between kitsch and entropism. Gender roles be damned as long as the final product looks sensational to the client and functional in case of a firefight. And once in a while, you might be able to see his right arm sleeve tattoo (featuring a bluejay in the center) out for all to marvel at.
There won't be an easy way of figuring out Silvain and that's done on purpose. His attachment issues make him effortlessly dodge any question about him with utter absurdity or performative distractions (that goes extra on men). And he isn't for one to hide his attraction to the same-sex including members of Maelstrom. But he will show his disdain towards police officers and those in positions of authority pretty loud and clear.
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
Silvain Cellier De Roos is still young and filled with potential despite his rough beginnings. While Night City doesn't treat new arrivals kindly, he is built differently and has been handed worst situations. Still, his primary is survival while the secondary is The Mox, which I hope to explore more than what the game provides. I am especially interested in its leader, Susie "Q", and the rivalry with the Tyger Claws.
Of course, I also want to explore and develop Silvain as he slowly finds his place in this chaotic world. And who knows, maybe a few familiar faces will be allowed to pop up.
I know that there's still much to do, but I finished with Bluejay's backstory. So hopefully, I get done with the rest of the sheet before the deadline.
B L U E J A Y B L U E J A Y
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“‘So few want to be rebels anymore. And out of those few, most, like myself, scare easily.'”
C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T
C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y
Silvain Cellier De Roos _________________________________________________________ 24 | ♂ | Homosexual _________________________________________________________ Single | Prostitute/Technician | Mox
P H Y S I C A L P R O F I L E P H Y S I C A L P R O F I L E
▼ P H Y S I C A L T R A I T S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Build - Tone ► Ethnicity - Caucasian ► Hair Colour - Brown ► Eye Colour - Green ► Other - A right arm sleeve tattoo going from the shoulder to the hand featuring a bluejay in the center -
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S C H A R A C T E R N O T E S
▼ C H A R A C T E R I T E M S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► DR-12 Quasar (Basic) - A semi- automatic revolver. ► Tsunami Nue (Luxury) - A semi- automatic pistol with a XC-10 Alecto silencer. "Obtained" from a client that happened to be a Tyger Claw member. ► Xiphos (Basic) - A bronze one-handed shortsword from a past life. ► Tetratronic Mk.3 (Expensive) - System Reset, Reboot Optics, Sonic Shock, Synapse Burnout, and Memory Wipe ► Camillo RAM Manager (Expensive) - Enhanced with a RAM Upgrade ► Archer Quartz EC-L R275 (Basic) - An affordable sports car for the working people.
▼ K N O W N A S S O C I A T E S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Xian Zexian - Former member of the Tyger Claws and a netrunner for hire ► Marina Galanili - Stripper at Lizzie's Bar, member of the Mox, and a "close" friend ► Anatoliy "Crimson Iron" Kadnikov - A high-ranking Maelstrom member and frequent client
▼ S K I L L S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Gun In My Hand - The sheer determination that drives Silvain to do what he does best every single day. Whether it's pulling the trigger or meeting with a client, there's that willpower keeping him going until it's time to rest for the day. ► Sweet Tooth - Of course, willpower isn't enough for a person like Silvain to live one day at a time. Drugs, more specifically marijuana and happy pills, are sometimes the necessary push to wrap up an eventful day or get through the night with another client. And it hasn't stopped persisting in his mind for a long while. ► Dance in the Dark - Silvain witnessed his entire family being torn apart, overdoses, deaths, and even a cyberpsychosis or two. There were things that used to frighten him well, but an incident changed everything. Now that lack of fear is what drives him during a firefight regardless of his wellbeing. Of course, he isn't stupid and won't rush off into a fight without a plan. However, he won't have second doubts about killing someone or witnessing some terrible shit from a scavs' hideout. ► Ghosting - Given up by his mother, abandoned by his intended parents, and then witnessing the destruction of his chosen family caused Silvain to develop attachment issues towards any relationship—platonically and romantically. Back in New York City and Detriot, he often ghosted folks that he felt were getting close so as to avoid the headache of the inevitable demise. And being a sex worker ensured he was disparaged by society. The attachment issue is still persisting at Night City even among the Mox, with which he has only a few acquaintances. But he is slowly working on it with some help. -
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T
Silvain Cellier De Roos was born in the heart of the European Union, Brussels, to a surrogate mother and delivered to her close friend and his husband. Both of them worked for Euro Business Machines—a megacorpration that generalized in the manufacture of computer products, information technology and electronics—as project managers for the various departments. Working for a prestigious European-based megacorporation guaranteed them a luxurious life.
But for Silvain, he was never able to truly experience it.
In 2061, the hacker collective, r4n, leaked classified documents that tied EMB to a bloody coup attempt in Germany. Public support for the megacorporation quickly fell along with its stocks as investors began pulling out. Eventually, the European Union unanimously approved plans to prevent EMB from going bankrupt by transferring ownership to the German government. In addition, warrants were issued to individuals responsible for the coup attempt.
Silvain and his surrogate parents fled Brussels and sought sanctuary from the authorities in Sparta. Whatever wealth left was spent in brides and living arrangements, leaving them dirt poor with an outstanding warrant on the parents. Given he didn't remember much of his early childhood, Silvain wasn't struggling as much as his parents were to adjust to their new lives. But, it was his teenage years proved to be challenging.
At the start of his third year at gymnasium, one of his parents was abducted and coincidentally ended up in the hands of the German authorities. A few months later, the other parent ended up overdosing on smash and nearly committed suicide due to its destructive side effect. Fortunately, paramedics responded quickly enough to save his life at a nearby hospital; and yet, the authorities were alerted and soon apprehend him upon his recovery.
Silvain was all by himself and living on the streets.
That all changed when the Sacred Band bought Silvain into their life. It was one of the many gangs within Sparta constantly fighting for control and influence. Unlike the other gangs, Sacred Band was a refuge for the marginalized and oppressed folks across Greece. And that made them frequent targets for the police state and rival gangs. Silvain had to pull his own weight and soon found his knack with technology, which was highly appreciated by other members.
By 2071, Silvain was routinely repairing or modifying cyberware, weapons, gear, whatever required his talents. Sometimes he had to play the role of a ripperdoc to patch up a busted cybernetic on a wounded gang member. Still, despite the hardships and struggles, he loved being the technician of the gang. Plus, it paid extremely decently given his circumstances. Unfortunately, the golden age came to a sudden and brutal climax with the murder of the Sacred Band's leader.
Sacred Band and the other gangs of Sparta were rapidly and brutally targeted by the military police and mercs eager to claim the bounties during the early 2070s. Silvain, realizing that his life was in jeopardy, gathered his hard-earned eurobucks and used much of it to book passage to North America. He left behind the gang and his home country without a farewell to avoid drawing attention from the authorities and bounty hunters.
The first three years in the New United States were difficult but survivable compared to Grecce. Silvain operated a back-alley clinic in New York City as the local ripperdoc before moving west. In Detriot, he found decent work as a prostitute for two years while tinkering with braindances on the side. And then, he left further west after being nearly beaten to death by a powerful client and found himself in Night City.
Night City, despite being overrun by corporations and gangs, was easy for someone like Silvain to adjust rather fast. But what he didn't expect was learning about the Mox. Seeing the similarities between them and Sacred Band, Silvain didn't waste any time approaching them to offer his talents. At first, Susie "Q" wasn't looking for "any more strays" and not "running a charity." That was until their own braindance technician and editor left town out of the blue.
Nowadays, Silvain works for the basement of Lizzie's Bar with the leftover equipment for the last occupant as the Mox's own technician. On the side, however, he recently returned to sex work and started working for fixers in Night City to earn a little extra eddies. And with the uncertainty that comes with living in Night City, 2078 is going to look like an eventful year to Silvain.
D E T A I L E D A P P E A R A N C E D E T A I L E D A P P E A R A N C E
Silvain Cellier De Roos is an average height person whose body type is between skinny and tone. Being a Mox and a prostitute has made sure that eddies are spent on maintaining a fashion style between kitsch and entropism. Gender roles be damned as long as the final product looks sensational to the client and functional in case of a firefight. And once in a while, you might be able to see his right arm sleeve tattoo (featuring a bluejay in the center) out for all to marvel at.
There won't be an easy way of figuring out Silvain and that's done on purpose. His attachment issues make him effortlessly dodge any question about him with utter absurdity or performative distractions (that goes extra on men). And he isn't for one to hide his attraction to the same-sex including members of Maelstrom. But he will show his disdain towards police officers and those in positions of authority pretty loud and clear.
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
Silvain Cellier De Roos is still young and filled with potential despite his rough beginnings. While Night City doesn't treat new arrivals kindly, he is built differently and has been handed worst situations. Still, his primary is survival while the secondary is The Mox, which I hope to explore more than what the game provides. I am especially interested in its leader, Susie "Q", and the rivalry with the Tyger Claws.
Of course, I also want to explore and develop Silvain as he slowly finds his place in this chaotic world. And who knows, maybe a few familiar faces will be allowed to pop up.
“‘So few want to be rebels anymore. And out of those few, most, like myself, scare easily.'”
C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T
C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y
Silvain Cellier De Roos _________________________________________________________ 24 | ♂ | Homosexual _________________________________________________________ Single | Prostitute/Technician | Mox
P H Y S I C A L P R O F I L E P H Y S I C A L P R O F I L E
▼ P H Y S I C A L T R A I T S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Build - Tone ► Ethnicity - Caucasian ► Hair Colour - Brown ► Eye Colour - Green ► Other - A right arm sleeve tattoo going from the shoulder to the hand featuring a bluejay in the center -
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S C H A R A C T E R N O T E S
▼ C H A R A C T E R I T E M S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► DR-12 Quasar (Basic) - A semi- automatic revolver. ► Tsunami Nue (Luxury) - A semi- automatic pistol with a XC-10 Alecto silencer. ► Xiphos (Basic) - A bronze one-handed shortsword from a past life. ► Tetratronic Mk.3 (Expensive) - System Reset, Reboot Optics, Sonic Shock, Synapse Burnout, and Memory Wipe ► Camillo RAM Manager (Expensive) - Enhanced with a RAM Upgrade ► Archer Quartz EC-L R275 (Basic) - An affordable sports car for the working people.
▼ K N O W N A S S O C I A T E S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Xian Zexian - Former member of the Tyger Claws and a netrunner for hire ► Marina Galanili - Stripper at Lizzie's Bar, member of the Mox, and a "close" friend ► Anatoliy "Crimson Iron" Kadnikov - A high-ranking Maelstrom member and frequent client
▼ S K I L L S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Gun In My Hand - Why did love put a gun in my hand? The question of the century for someone with a fucked up life. Was it love for life? For the thrill? Or For the sake of loving other men? Who honestly knows with Silvain. Regardless of the answer, that love still drives him to put a gun in his hand. ► Sweet Tooth - I hold hands with cosmic entities. I'll take this tube out if I please. I got this sweet tooth, baby. Yeah, I got this sweet tooth, baby. For all of Silvain's early, it was filled mostly with disappointment, sorrow, death, and destruction. And yet, there was something that kept his spirits high: drugs. Marijuana and happy pills persisted in his mind non- stop as his sweet tooth. ► Dance in the Dark - Silvain witnessed his entire family being torn apart, overdoses, deaths, and even a cyberpsychosis or two. There were things that used to frighten him well, but an incident changed everything. Whether something in his brain broke or he just became numb to the brutality of humanity as the result, there wasn't much that fazed him out. So while everyone else gets scared, Silvain dances in the dark. ► Ghosting - Given up by his mother, abandoned by his intended parents, and then witnessing the destruction of his chosen family caused Silvain to develop attachment issues towards any relationship—platonically and romantically. Back in New York City and Detriot, he often ghosted folks that he felt were getting close so as to avoid the headache of the inevitable demise. And being a sex worker ensured he was disparaged by society. Even though Night City was slowly unwrapping the attachment issues, it wasn't going to be an easy fight to put away the old white sheets for good. -
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T
Silvain Cellier De Roos was born in the heart of the European Union, Brussels, to a surrogate mother and delivered to her close friend and his husband. Both of them worked for Euro Business Machines—a megacorpration that generalized in the manufacture of computer products, information technology and electronics—as project managers for the various departments. Working for a prestigious European-based megacorporation guaranteed them a luxurious life.
But for Silvain, he was never able to truly experience it.
In 2061, the hacker collective, r4n, leaked classified documents that tied EMB to a bloody coup attempt in Germany. Public support for the megacorporation quickly fell along with its stocks as investors began pulling out. Eventually, the European Union unanimously approved plans to prevent EMB from going bankrupt by transferring ownership to the German government. In addition, warrants were issued to individuals responsible for the coup attempt.
Silvain and his surrogate parents fled Brussels and sought sanctuary from the authorities in Sparta. Whatever wealth left was spent in brides and living arrangements, leaving them dirt poor with an outstanding warrant on the parents. Given he didn't remember much of his early childhood, Silvain wasn't struggling as much as his parents were to adjust to their new lives. But, it was his teenage years proved to be challenging.
At the start of his third year at gymnasium, one of his parents was abducted and coincidentally ended up in the hands of the German authorities. A few months later, the other parent ended up overdosing on smash and nearly committed suicide due to its destructive side effect. Fortunately, paramedics responded quickly enough to save his life at a nearby hospital; and yet, the authorities were alerted and soon apprehend him upon his recovery.
Silvain was all by himself and living on the streets.
That all changed when the Sacred Band bought Silvain into their life. It was one of the many gangs within Sparta constantly fighting for control and influence. Unlike the other gangs, Sacred Band was a refuge for the marginalized and oppressed folks across Greece. And that made them frequent targets for the police state and rival gangs. Silvain had to pull his own weight and soon found his knack with technology, which was highly appreciated by other members.
By 2071, Silvain was routinely repairing or modifying cyberware, weapons, gear, whatever required his talents. Sometimes he had to play the role of a ripperdoc to patch up a busted cybernetic on a wounded gang member. Still, despite the hardships and struggles, he loved being the technician of the gang. Plus, it paid extremely decently given his circumstances. Unfortunately, the golden age came to a sudden and brutal climax with the murder of the Sacred Band's leader.
Sacred Band and the other gangs of Sparta were rapidly and brutally targeted by the military police and mercs eager to claim the bounties during the early 2070s. Silvain, realizing that his life was in jeopardy, gathered his hard-earned eurobucks and used much of it to book passage to North America. He left behind the gang and his home country without a farewell to avoid drawing attention from the authorities and bounty hunters.
The first three years in the New United States were difficult but survivable compared to Grecce. Silvain operated a back-alley clinic in New York City as the local ripperdoc before moving west. In Detriot, he found decent work as a prostitute for two years while tinkering with braindances on the side. And then, he left further west after being nearly beaten to death by a powerful client and found himself in Night City.
Night City, despite being overrun by corporations and gangs, was easy for someone like Silvain to adjust rather fast. But what he didn't expect was learning about the Mox. Seeing the similarities between them and Sacred Band, Silvain didn't waste any time approaching them to offer his talents. At first, Susie "Q" wasn't looking for "any more strays" and not "running a charity." That was until their own braindance technician and editor left town out of the blue.
Nowadays, Silvain works for the basement of Lizzie's Bar with the leftover equipment for the last occupant as the Mox's own technician. On the side, however, he recently returned to sex work and started working for fixers in Night City to earn a little extra eddies. And with the uncertainty that comes with living in Night City, 2078 is going to look like an eventful year to Silvain.
D E T A I L E D A P P E A R A N C E D E T A I L E D A P P E A R A N C E
Silvain Cellier De Roos is an average height person whose body type is between skinny and tone. Being a Mox and a prostitute has made sure that eddies are spent on maintaining a fashion style between kitsch and entropism. Gender roles be damned as long as the final product looks sensational to the client and functional in case of a firefight. And once in a while, you might be able to see his right arm sleeve tattoo (featuring a bluejay in the center) out for all to marvel at.
There won't be an easy way of figuring out Silvain and that's done on purpose. His attachment issues make him effortlessly dodge any question about him with utter absurdity or performative distractions (that goes extra on men). And he isn't for one to hide his attraction to the same-sex including members of Maelstrom. But he will his disdain towards police officers and those in positions of authority pretty loud and clear.
P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S ) P L O T ( S ) & G O A L ( S )
Silvain Cellier De Roos is still young and filled with potential despite his rough beginnings. While Night City doesn't treat new arrivals kindly, he is built differently and has been handed worst situations. Still, his primary is survival while the secondary is The Mox, which I hope to explore more than what the game provides. I am especially interested in its leader, Susie "Q", and the rivalry with the Tyger Claws.
Of course, I also want to explore and develop Silvain as he slowly finds his place in this chaotic world. And who knows, maybe a few familiar faces will be allowed to pop up.
Athein was a challenging experience for the evodine population that came through the rift. Unlike their native lands, this plane of existence provided constant heavy rainfall and flooding year-round with overcast conditions. The swamp and marsh wetlands initially made farming near impossible until the invention of floating gardens. In addition, wildlife was comprised of creatures and plants completely foreign to evodines including mooses, snakes, ash trees, and poisonous lilies. But there were two creatures that provided to be combative. Known for its powerful jaw and loud snapping sound, the giant tortoise possessed aggressive territorial behaviors and attacked anything inside their territory especially evodines. And the swamp dragon wasn't as hostile despite its appearance but still considered a threatening predator willing to eat anything including both evodines and giant tortoises.
Despite its difficulties and challenges, Athein was quite captivating and colorful in spite of the overcast conditions. But, this plane allowed the evodines to thrive like never before in their existence on Gaia.
History
Upon the exodus for Gaia during the Cataclysm, the surviving evodines found themselves vulnerable to the wilderness of the strange new world. Within the first decade, the population rapidly plunged for a variety of reasons that came to be known as the Decade of Misery. But eventually, with profound inventions and strong willpower, the population recovered at the end of the century. It didn't experience growth until the start of the third century due to the harsh conditions on Athein making the average evodine's life challenging. By the fifth century, the population was close to nine hundred thousand with a number of cities and villages spread throughout Athein. And in the ruins of a forsaken city, a long-forgotten relic slowly starts flickering endlessly.
Culture and Society
Evodines lived in tight-knit communities as a means of survival for the harsh world of Athein. They also live close to each other to maintain barters and trades with other nearby communities. Merchants were well-paid for their services due to traversing in such dangerous circumstances and resided expensively. With their recent leverage in politics, the maritime republic was filled predominantly with current and retired merchants. And it helped tremendously that most of them were more than able to take flight. In fact, Evodines with functioning wings were privileged and possessed a sense of entitlement than those flightless in society. It didn't help that they were looked down upon and ridiculed by those that can fly.
For the evodines that were flightless or weren't merchants, their lives were a daily struggle for survival against the wilderness and the weather. Unlike their counterpart, they were compassionate and hardworking due to their formidable situation. And when it came to their families (blood or bond), it was amplified threefold with events that lasted for days with the entire neighborhood. Still, they were envious of the envious capable of flight and dreamed of taking to the cloudy skies. The resentment was bad enough that parents were openly resentful of their own children if they were able to fly. Those children often found themselves scoffed at by their community for the rest of their lives unless they moved away.
It was a similar problem within airworthy communities with children being flightless, but it was more hostile and callous.
Governance and Politics
Maritime Republic was only a recent development for the people of Athein that got its origins after exploration of the sea began. Several merchant families dominated the economy, society, and politics of Athein thanks to their coin. But nearly all of them never engaged in the political scene personally and instead sponsored politicians and government officials acting in their favor. There was still plenty that couldn't be bought out easily with coin and required additional incentives to ensure cooperation.
Technology and Magic
Athein, unlike Gaia, was never filled with magical energy that allowed spells to be performed. Of course, there were attempts to activate the mystical energy but none of them were successful. Theories emerged that the lack of constant sunlight was to blame for the absence of magic, while others thought the creatures of Athein were responsible. Regardless of who's at fault, magical energy will remind a story element for children to get excited about. Technology, on the other hand, advanced since the invention of floating gardens thanks to the evodine spirit. Stilt villages, levees, and land reclamation made conditions for the inhabitants better than ever before. The recent invention of canals gave birth to the golden age of sail since it allowed exploration into the surrounding sea.
Military Overview
Being isolated from any other intelligent lifeform made the idea of an army pointless. But, with the wildlife of Athein vicious, militias were established across several communities. Some militias represented several villages and frequently patrolled there while others focused on only one location. And as for the quality of training and supplies, it entirely depended on the amount of coin spent by the local administration.
Athein was a challenging experience for the evodine population that came through the rift. Unlike their native lands, this plane of existence provided constant heavy rainfall and flooding year-round with overcast conditions. The swamp and marsh wetlands initially made farming near impossible until the invention of floating gardens. In addition, wildlife was comprised of creatures and plants completely foreign to evodines including mooses, snakes, ash trees, and poisonous lilies. But there were two creatures that provided to be combative. Known for its powerful jaw and loud snapping sound, the giant tortoise possessed aggressive territorial behaviors and attacked anything inside their territory especially evodines. And the swamp dragon wasn't as hostile despite its appearance but still considered a threatening predator willing to eat anything including both evodines and giant tortoises.
Despite its difficulties and challenges, Athein was quite captivating and colorful in spite of the overcast conditions. But, this plane allowed the evodines to thrive like never before in their existence on Gaia.
History
Upon the exodus for Gaia during the Cataclysm, the surviving evodines found themselves vulnerable to the wilderness of the strange new world. Within the first decade, the population rapidly plunged for a variety of reasons that came to be known as the Decade of Misery. But eventually, with profound inventions and strong willpower, the population recovered at the end of the century. It didn't experience growth until the start of the third century due to the harsh conditions on Athein making the average evodine's life challenging. By the fifth century, the population was close to nine hundred thousand with a number of cities and villages spread throughout Athein. And in the ruins of a forsaken city, a long-forgotten relic slowly starts flickering endlessly.
Culture and Society
Evodines lived in tight-knit communities as a means of survival for the harsh world of Athein. They also live close to each other to maintain barters and trades with other nearby communities. Merchants were well-paid for their services due to traversing in such dangerous circumstances and resided expensively. With their recent leverage in politics, the maritime republic was filled predominantly with current and retired merchants. And it helped tremendously that most of them were more than able to take flight. In fact, Evodines with functioning wings were privileged and possessed a sense of entitlement than those flightless in society. It didn't help that they were looked down upon and ridiculed by those that can fly.
For the evodines that were flightless or weren't merchants, their lives were a daily struggle for survival against the wilderness and the weather. Unlike their counterpart, they were compassionate and hardworking due to their formidable situation. And when it came to their families (blood or bond), it was amplified threefold with events that lasted for days with the entire neighborhood. Still, they were envious of the envious capable of flight and dreamed of taking to the cloudy skies. The resentment was bad enough that parents were openly resentful of their own children if they were able to fly. Those children often found themselves scoffed at by their community for the rest of their lives unless they moved away.
It was a similar problem within airworthy communities with children being flightless, but it was more hostile and callous.
Governance and Politics
Maritime Republic was only a recent development for the people of Athein that got its origins after exploration of the sea began. Several merchant families dominated the economy, society, and politics of Athein thanks to their coin. But nearly all of them never engaged in the political scene personally and instead sponsored politicians and government officials acting in their favor. There was still plenty that couldn't be bought out easily with coin and required additional incentives to ensure cooperation.
Technology and Magic
Athein, unlike Gaia, was never filled with magical energy that allowed spells to be performed. Of course, there were attempts to activate the mystical energy but none of them were successful. Theories emerged that the lack of constant sunlight was to blame for the absence of magic, while others thought the creatures of Athein were responsible. Regardless of who's at fault, magical energy will remind a story element for children to get excited about. Technology, on the other hand, advanced since the invention of floating gardens thanks to the evodine spirit. Stilt villages, levees, and land reclamation made conditions for the inhabitants better than ever before. The recent invention of canals gave birth to the golden age of sail since it allowed exploration into the surrounding sea.
Military Overview
Being isolated from any other intelligent lifeform made the idea of an army pointless. But, with the wildlife of Athein vicious, militias were established across several communities. Some militias represented several villages and frequently patrolled there while others focused on only one location. And as for the quality of training and supplies, it entirely depended on the amount of coin spent by the local administration.
Athein was a challenging experience for the evodine population that came through the rift. Unlike their native lands, this plane of existence provided constant heavy rainfall and flooding year-round with overcast conditions. The swamp and marsh wetlands initially made farming near impossible until the invention of floating gardens. In addition, wildlife was comprised of creatures and plants completely foreign to evodines including mooses, snakes, ash trees, and poisonous lilies. But there were two creatures that provided to be combative. Known for its powerful jaw and loud snapping sound, the giant tortoise possessed aggressive territorial behaviors and attacked anything inside their territory especially evodines. And the swamp dragon wasn't as hostile despite its appearance but still considered a threatening predator willing to eat anything including both evodines and giant tortoises.
Despite its difficulties and challenges, Athein was quite captivating and colorful in spite of the overcast conditions. But, this plane allowed the evodines to thrive like never before in their existence on Gaia.
History
Upon the exodus for Gaia during the Cataclysm, the surviving evodines found themselves vulnerable to the wilderness of the strange new world. Within the first decade, the population rapidly plunged for a variety of reasons that came to be known as the Decade of Misery. But eventually, with profound inventions and strong willpower, the population recovered at the end of the century. It didn't experience growth until the start of the third century due to the harsh conditions on Athein making the average evodine's life challenging. By the fifth century, the population was close to nine hundred thousand with a number of cities and villages spread throughout Athein. And in the ruins of a forsaken city, a long-forgotten relic slowly starts flickering endlessly.
Culture and Society
Evodines lived in tight-knit communities as a means of survival for the harsh world of Athein. They also live close to each other to maintain barters and trades with other nearby communities. Merchants were well-paid for their services due to traversing in such dangerous circumstances and resided expensively. With their recent leverage in politics, the maritime republic was filled predominantly with current and retired merchants. And it helped tremendously that most of them were more than able to take flight. In fact, Evodines with functioning wings were privileged and possessed a sense of entitlement than those flightless in society. It didn't help that they were looked down upon and ridiculed by those that can fly.
For the evodines that were flightless or weren't merchants, their lives were a daily struggle for survival against the wilderness and the weather. Unlike their counterpart, they were compassionate and hardworking due to their formidable situation. And when it came to their families (blood or bond), it was amplified threefold with events that lasted for days with the entire neighborhood. Still, they were envious of the envious capable of flight and dreamed of taking to the cloudy skies. The resentment was bad enough that parents were openly resentful of their own children if they were able to fly. Those children often found themselves scoffed at by their community for the rest of their lives unless they moved away. It was a similar problem within airworthy communities with children being flightless, but it was more hostile and callous especially from families and parents.
Governance and Politics: (Like the government form field, but more room for detail. Tell me if your monarchy is slowly being subsumed by the merchant classes. Or, if your people are organized in such a way that they don't even have a government or politics anymore, then this is also a good place to talk about that.)
Technology and Magic: (Before you start, please read the Technology and Magic section up above. Done? Aight, go ahead and let your imagination run wild)
Military Overview: (This is the space to talk about any offensive/defensive capabilities you have. Now, keep in mind that our people have all been essentially isolated for 500 years. If you have a huge army, I want to know who it is that you've been fighting all this time to justify having a military that tough. If the answer is "Nobody" then, mis amigo, you shouldn't have the huge army.)
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Additional Info: (Anything else you want to include that there isn't a spot for up there. Little factoids about your nation are both amusing and welcome.)