Slayer Circuit NPC Roster

This is a thread listing all of the NPCs created by myself. These characters are either competing in the Slayer Circuit, Pro Slayers or Side Characters who fulfill other duties (the equivalent of a "Nurse Joy," essentially). It's broken down into two types. Core NPCs are those who serve a purpose during the primary story of the RP. While some of them are available as teammates, choosing them means you will be required to participate in the RP's primary story. Minor NPCs do not have any significant role in the central plot, and thus do not require players teaming with them to be involved in the main story. However, they do have plots of their own and can be brought into main storyline quests. All of these NPCs are Essential (meaning they can only die when they have my permission to). None of the Minor NPCs are, however.


The full character profiles will be added below. This list will grow as new NPCs are created for various quests.

Name: Ahji zol-Bok'kan
Age: 18
Gender: F
Species: Draknul
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Waitstaff at Family-owned restaurant, Aspiring Pro-Slayer
Residence: The Draknul Burrough of Sol Nokia with her parents
Skills/Talents: Ahji is an exceptional martial artist, being particularly skilled at kicks and throws, which she's used to deal with people who tried to steal from the restaurant. She's also a fairly capable chef in her own right, having been taught by her father. Of course, Slay-Ball being her passion, she's shown to have a fairly decent knack for the sport. Her particular playstyle is defensive, emphasizing deflects over an all-out offensive approach. She mostly focuses on team plays, setting up and/or protecting allies rather than going for hits, herself. As with all Draknul, Ahji is notably far stronger and more resilient than a human due to the denser tissue.
Striker: Basic Strikers - Twin Polearms

Skill Rank: Rookie
Team: To Be Determined...
Drive: Vacuum Trigger
Drive Type: Mod
Drive Description: When activated, Ahji's Strikers take on a property that allows them to rend through space, creating invisible air pockets that can then be triggered remotely. When triggered, these pockets produce vacuum waves with significant concussive force.
Limitations
• Ahji's Strikers can only maintain the mod for so long. Also, creating new air pockets slightly shortens that time. As such, she needs to be strategic about where she leaves an air slash, and when, as well as the desired effect.
• Only Ahji can detect the air pockets, thus even her allies are in danger when navigating the field, requiring expert coordination in order to work with her.
• Ahji can set up multiple air slashes at once, effectively trapping the field. However, she can only trigger one vacuum wave at a time.

Special Moves:
• Vacuum Dash - Ahji sets up an air pocket for herself or an ally to use as a means of propulsion. Good for aerial redirects, ascending to heights unattainable by jumping, or for a sudden burst of speed.

• Vacuum Cannon - Ahji stacks her slashes over one another, increasing the potency of the created air pocket. When triggered, the created vacuum wave is incredibly fierce. It's most often used to send the ball flying violently at an unsuspecting target, unable to defend in time. But it has other applications. (Unlocked at Intermediate)

• Vacuum Pin - Ahji secretly litters the field with air pockets, effectively trapping the opponent in a cage of them. Then, when she's ready (or out of time), she triggers them all successively, sending the ball unpredictably pinballing from one pocket to the next with chained vacuum waves. (Unlocked at Advanced)

Personality: Ahji is the quintessential 'nice girl'. She's levelheaded and friendly. What's more, while not at all a perpetual smiler, she does appear to always have a smile ready for those who could use it. She's boundlessly supportive of her friends and allies, always being ready to encourage or commend them. Her operation as the defensive member of the team further lends to her willingness to place others before herself. In all ways, she simply appears to be the ideal teammate.

Very little seems to rattle Ahji at all. She never seems to get particularly angry or sad. Seldom does she appear to worry about anything to any noticeable extent. When in the heat of battle, she's typically very carefree and jovial. There are certainly times when she's far more serious, but even then she at most maintains a level of utmost stoicism. This ability to maintain her composure and conduct herself professionally when things get tough makes her invaluable.

Ahji is quite fond of food. Likely something that comes from her family business, she's both excellent at cooking it, and eating it. She likes seeing others enjoy her food as well. Though she does have a tendency to experiment. Or to try feeding people Draknul food, forgetting that the majority of it is toxic to non-Draknul species, barring the toxin-immune Nemeans. She has a fondness for dogs, and loves playing with the little guys.

Woe to those who take her kindness for granted. For all her seemingly boundless positivity, she is absolutely not one to be trifled with. Ahji's overwhelmingly positive demeanor generally only extends to those on her good side. In truth, she is as vicious as anyone when properly provoked, if not more. With her, passive aggression is practically an art form. She has mastered the art of sly insults, politeness mind games, bitingly sarcastic (yet well masked) praise, and other means of slighting those who irk her without being obvious about it. And o' how irksome she finds the world around her. While she certainly does care quite deeply for those she considers close, not even they are spared when they do anything she takes issue with. She'll win an argument through backwards logic, just for the sake of irritating her prey. Or she'll turn an insult inside-out, causing it to backfire on whoever delivered it. All the while she maintains her cheerful and jovial persona.

Back Story: Ahji was born in Sol Nokia, where she grew up the middle child in a relatively large family of five children. Being neither the oldest nor youngest placed her in an odd situation. The eldest of the five - Kidha - was rampantly irresponsible and always in one form of trouble or another. She was always spoiled, eventually becoming an absolute mess. By contrast, the next oldest - Ravan - was always the responsible one. He was studious and clever, doing everything in her power to help the family business by acting as the general manager. Ahji was left in the odd position of being babied by one and hounded by the other. Meanwhile, the sibling immediately beneath her - Saadi - was constantly antagonizing her. Not that it had any real effect. Of her many siblings, only the littlest one - Khalu - shared a particularly strong bond with her. They'd watch Slay-Ball matches together on TV, play at the park, and generally spend a lot of time around one another. He looked up to her like a celebrity. And it was seeing that hopeful little face that did it.

Despite her familial detractors, Ahji decided to participate in the Slayer Circuit, purchasing a V-Brace with her money from the restaurant. Her parents, while not as adamantly opposed to this as Ravan, were less than entirely on board. She had a secure place in the family business. What's more, they were worried. But Ahji convinced them through her own enthusiasm to at least let her try. And so they did, but under the stipulation that until she qualified for the Slayer Circuit, she was still working for them part-time, and would return to work when she was needed. That was all she needed to hear. And she immediately began working toward her dream.

Name: Adder Marx
Age: 18
Gender: M
Species: Human
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Student, Aspiring Pro Slayer
Residence: With his Grandparents in Sol Nokia
Skills/Talents: Natural talent for the game of Slay-Ball
Striker: Adder's Striker is a major storyline Spoiler and will therefore not be disclosed until a later time.

Skill Rank: N/A
Team: N/A
Drive: Adder's Drive is a major storyline Spoiler and will therefore not be disclosed until a later time.
Drive Type: To Be Revealed
Drive Description: To Be Revealed
Limitations
• ---

Special Moves:
• ---

Personality: Adder is known to be a friendly and outgoing person with a fiercely determined attitude. He's loud, confident, and competitive. His hot-blooded nature gets him into trouble, every now and again, but he's a good kid. He doesn't tend to hold grudges, usually preferring to make friends out of people who might've wronged him or others, though there is a line. He'll stand up to anyone, but he hopes everyone can become allies in the end. He enjoys nothing more than pitting himself against others to see what they're capable of and test his own limits in the process, pushing himself even farther. To those he calls friends, he's always encouraging, pushing them to get better along with him so they can have as much fun as possible.

Back Story: Adder was a child when his parents moved to one of the many orbital stations surrounding the Earth. Having left their home, he was without friends. Lonely and bored out of his skull, Adder eventually took up Slay-Ball when he discovered that the game was widely played by other kids on the station. In time he began to show a natural talent for it. One that even eclipsed the skill shown by the station's own Slay-Ball ace, Blink Secora. Eventually, he found himself replacing her, very much unintentionally.

He didn't speak to her much, seeing as she seemed content with solitude. But one day he returned to the usual recreational space where the kids would play their games, having left something behind. There he found her practicing entirely alone. Asking what she was doing, he came to discover that her goal was to win the Slay-Ball Grande Tournament. Of course, he laughed at her for entrusting him with that knowledge, stating that it would be impossible because he intended to become the Champion, himself. Inspired by the sport that earned him so many friends and allowed him to see what people were really about, he'd made up his mind to with the Tournament so he could see all sorts of different kinds of people and learn more about why they play. Naturally, he followed this up the only way he knew how. He challenged her to a match. One she narrowly lost. With that Adder decided he'd need to get better if he was going to win. And so he decided that the two of them would become rivals - a title that Blink initially rejected but soon came to accept in a way.

Come the end of the school year, Adder relocated to Sol Nokia, living with his grandparents. Armed with a new V-Brace, he was ready to take on the world and challenge all kinds of new people.

Name: Kobeq zol-Steig'r
Age: 22
Gender: M
Species: Draknul
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Pawn Shop Clerk
Residence: An apartment on Dante's Avenue in Sol Nokia
Skills/Talents: Haggling, Swindling, Pickpocketing, Skilled Slay-Ball Player
Striker: Basic Striker - "Devil's Due," a sheathed katana

Skill Rank: Intermediate
Team: TBD...
Drive: Devil's Advocate
Drive Type: MOD
Drive Description: When drawn from its sheath, Devil's Due can be used to create walls and other crude constructs of "solid flame."
Limitations
• Devil's Advocate charges slower than it expends energy, requiring Kobeq to be mindful of resource management.
• The "Solid Flame" generated by Devil's Advocate dissipates quickly, meaning that timing is everything.
• The "Solid Flame" follows the slashes of Devil's Due, meaning that the Drive doesn't have the best range.

Special Moves:
• Ring of Fire - Kobeq slashes in an arc at his feet, creating a barrier of flame just in front of him.
• TrailBlazer - Kobeq slashes through the air, creating a slide or ramp for the ball to follow, redirecting even the most violent of strikes, provided it connects at the right angle.

Personality: Kobeq is rather infamous, where he comes from. On his street, he's known as "The Devil of Dante's Avenue." He's a cunning wordsmith and knows how to work even the toughest of marks. A master conman and all-around shady person, Kobeq isn't the sort who one exactly calls "trustworthy." He's as crafty as they come, loving to put one over on people just for the fun of it. He's extremely good at telling people what they want to hear and always seems to show up at convenient times with useful information or services. While he may be a sly bastard, he also knows when to be straight with people. He relishes the fact that people don't trust him. But what he likes, even more, is placing people into positions where they know they can't trust him yet still wind up needing him. Just as well, he's able to handily get out of most situations, the little snake that he is. Whether he talks his way out, or simply has an exit strategy in place. If there's anything noble about Kobeq, it's that he never goes back on a deal or a promise. That said, one should still be leery of any deal or promise he makes. Because he's exceptionally good at twisting the logic of either to his advantage.

Kobeq is irritated by idealistic and unrealistic people. People who don't simply accept the brutality of life for what it is. People who place their stock in ideals like "friendship" and "determination" are simply morons, waiting to be played for the fools they are. And he's all too happy to oblige them. What gets under his skin most are those who are noble or selfless. He doesn't understand it, and therefore it annoys him. Though to a certain extent, even he possesses a shred of this as he's highly protective of his little sister, no matter how much she annoys him by having this very attitude towards life.

Back Story: Kobeq grew up on Dante's Avenue - the roughest area in Sol Nokia, home to the seediest, scummiest of the city's people, as well as those unfortunate enough to simply be incapable of leaving. He developed an interest in Slay-Ball early on, taking it up as something of a hobby that he developed an affinity for in time. It was through Slay-Ball that he encountered his would-be mentor, a man who claimed victory over all those around him. But he accomplished it in a remarkably underhanded way. Having spent much of his life doing what he could to get by, including a number of shady things, Kobeq noticed what the man was doing. When the two played against one another, Kobeq turned the cheat around on the man and managed to be the first to win against him in the area. Impressed, the man took Kobeq under his wing, bringing him in as a clerk at his pawn shop.

Over the course of several years, Kobeq learned even more about the art of deception. He continued to associate with the man against his little sister's wishes. When Kobeq thought he could put one over on his mentor, he drew out the old man's ire. In his irritation, he arranged for an "accident" that threatened both Kobeq's life and his sister's. Luckily, the people responsible were instructed to only scare Kobeq. However, Kobeq wasn't afraid. He was angry. He went to his mentor in a fury, setting the record straight. He could threaten Kobeq all he wanted. But there'll be hell to pay the next time he threatens Kobeq's sister. The old man, unfortunately for him, didn't heed the warning and threatened to the girl to Kobeq's face. With Kobeq held at gunpoint, the boy left. But the devil always collects his dues. Sometime later, Kobeq's former mentor wound up getting himself arrested after evidence of his shadier dealings was... "discovered." In that time, Kobeq took over the pawn shop, himself.

Later, showed up in the Slayer Circuit, participating for reasons unknown. But one could be certain he'd hatched some sort of scheme. He employed the use of the V-Brace his old mentor once used and surprised many with his skill in the field.

Name: Nako Tanako
Age: 19
Gender: F
Species: Human
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Petsitter, Daycare Assistant, Aspiring Pro Slayer
Residence: An apartment in Sol Nokia w/ a roommate
Skills/Talents: Nako adores animals of various kinds, alien ones included. As such, she's taken an interest in animal care, making her very capable in that capacity. Also being rather fond of kids, Nako fairly good at caring for them. This is reinforced by the fact that she works as a Daycare Assistant. She's somewhat decent at Slay-Ball, being that she's a fairly quick study. But she does have a long way to go.
Striker: Basic Striker - Cheshire, An oversized mallet

Skill Rank: Newbie
Team: TBD...
Drive: Rabbit's Hole
Drive Type: AMP
Drive Description: When triggered, Rabbit's Hole allows Nako to tap her foot and instantly create tunnels, letting her travel underground with the utmost ease.
Limitations
• The more frequently she makes these tunnels, the greater the fatigue. She essentially wants to be especially strategic about the use of them. They're not meant for constant usage.
• The tunnels do close when she exits them, meaning she can't reuse tunnels she's already opened.
• The tunnels are a double-edged sword, as they can also become a dirt trap if an opponent has a means of flushing her out.

Special Moves:
• Grave Digger - Nako caves the ground in beneath her opponent, causing them to stumble, or even become trapped in a small rabbit hole, anchoring them in place for a hit. (Unlocks at Rookie)
• False Alarm! - While underground, Nako opens a tunnel on one side of an opponent, sending the ball up. When they turn to get to it, she opens another tunnel behind them and leaps out, flanking them to catch them off guard and steal the hit. (Unlocks at Intermediate)
• Quake - While underground, Nako strikes with her hammer, shaking the Earth tremendously hard and knocking anything immediately above her either into the air or onto their backsides. (Unlocks at Adept)
• Whack-a-Nak - Nako repeatedly pokes up from the ground, misdirecting her opponent. This is an exceptionally risky move, however, as it can leave her drained if used for too long. (Unlocks at Advanced)

Personality: Bubbly and personable, Nako typically plays the part of the cool older sister in a group of people. She's friendly and levelheaded, typically making sure to step back and look at a problem in its totality before deciding on anything. Nako is very childlike in many respects. Her adoration of all things small and fluffy is one such way. She isn't known for being especially professional as is. Cute things completely ruin her ability to be serious in any capacity. What's more, she likes plushies, collects various different kinds of toys, watches cartoons, and so-on. She tends to be a little evasive when under pressure, preferring to avoid the problem. Her love of having fun and the like is something she's particularly defensive about. It bothers her when she's regarded as childish or immature purely because of her love of things that could be considered frivolous. She wants to be known to her friends as someone they can turn to if they need anything. She wants them to have fun and laugh with her. But the world is constantly pounding into her skull the need to grow up. As if that would answer anything.

Back Story: Growing up an only child in a neighborhood with few other children, Nako has never had many friends. Her classmates had little interest in her. She retreated into a world of fantasy and play, collecting dolls and toys, watching cartoons, anything to distract her from the boredom of solitude. She seemed to drift through life on entertainment, never really developing an idea of what exactly she wanted to do. Everyone around her was in such a hurry to grow up, and there was the constant nagging to do something with her life. Yet she felt... lost. All she'd ever really invested any of her time into was blissful escapism - cartoons, anime, toys, etcetera. Yet she never felt compelled to create those things. Nor would she know where to start, even if she did. Lost, she eventually settled into caretaker positions as a petsitter and later a daycare assistant.

While working at her daycare, Nako caught a glimpse of a Slay-Ball game on TV in the staff lounge. It was so... entrancing. She'd never actually sat down to watch a game before. But it looked like so much fun. One of her superiors, noticing how enthralled she was, suggested she try playing it at some point, though she was uncertain. Later, that very instructor asked her to participate in a little demonstration for the kids. Something to entertain them. She obliged, albeit nervously. But that sensation faded quickly as she grew accustomed to the game. What's more, the children were enjoying themselves a great deal. And even more importantly, she was having fun. There was an indescribable sensation about it. But shortly after the game, the kids celebrated how cool she looked. Ever humble, she tried to dismiss their praise but was told to accept it by her superior.

The kids expressed an interest in seeing them play more of these games. Except they didn't just want her to play. They took it a step further, betting she'd do great if she decided to actually compete. The thought had never crossed her mind before, but seeing the looks on the faces of the kids, how could she say no? Making up her mind, she made a promise to her class that she'd compete in the upcoming Slayer Circuit. And she wasn't just going to compete, she was going to win.

Name: Cress Wallenstein
Age: 25
Gender: M
Species: Human
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Pryce Manor Steward-in-Training, Bodyguard
Residence: Pryce Away Home in Los Angeles
Skills/Talents: As a steward, Cress is notably multi-talented. He's skilled at managerial duties of all sorts, including handling financial and administrative matters. He can cook, clean, and generally keep house and home. Were the Pryce Away Manor not so large, he could likely do all of it entirely on his own. Furthermore, Cress is also William's appointed bodyguard and therefore knows how to defend himself and others if necessary. Cress is a fairly skilled Slay-Ball player, having been appointed as a friend for William when they were younger and played many a game with him.
Striker: Orbital Strikers - Triad, a trio of small holographic discs.

Skill Rank: Adept
Team: TBD. Comes w/ William Pryce III
Drive: Tri-Attack
Drive Type: MOD
Drive Description: Tri-Attack is a unique MOD in which the Orbiter the ball hits will indicate the effect generated.
Limitations
• Only one of the effects can be cast at a time.
• After Tri-Attack is activated, it's put on a fifteen-second cooldown before it can be triggered again.
• The active Orbiter glows before triggering, making the Drive fairly predictable.

Special Moves:
• Chill - The Blue Orbiter casts a cooling effect on the ball, slowing it down after it bounces, rather than speeding it up. Furthermore, it causes the ball friction to lessen, making hitting the ball in the desired manner tricky until the effect wears off.
• Char - The Red Orbiter casts a bomb effect on the ball, causing it to explode and be reset the next time it makes contact with a player, taking a chunk of HP with it even if they hit it legally.
• Charge - The Yellow Orbiter casts a shock effect on the ball, slowing down the next person to make contact with the ball.
• Chain - Cress can chain two successive uses of his Tri-Attack together by triggering one and waiting until the cooldown is nearly over to actually hit the ball, then immediately trigger another one to follow up with a (usually devastating) combo.

Personality: One would expect a glorified butler to be uptight and snooty. However, they'd be wrong in Cress's case. He's actually quite easygoing, taking everything in stride. His face seemed perpetually fixed into a rather calm smile. Though this dissonant serenity can be unsettling when he keeps it up even in the most intense of situations. That being said, Cress does maintain the utmost decorum at all times. He makes certain to keep things orderly and make the lives of his allies as simple as possible with gestures such as cooking for them, doing their laundry, and seeing to other menial tasks. Despite his seemingly docile nature, Cress has quite the sharp wit about him and can be very short with those who draw his ire, yet never really breaking his polite demeanor.

Above all else, Cress is devoted to his masters, the Pryce family. His unwavering loyalty to them, and Will, in particular, has stood the test of time as he's remained a servant to them since childhood. Yet he will not do absolutely anything they say, especially Will. He's been raised to have only their best interests at heart. If he believes their decisions would conflict with this, he will be the first to voice the concern and even humble them if necessary.

Behind that smile is the mind of a very cunning strategist and grand Chessmaster. Cress is exceptionally good at playing opponents into his hands. He uses his unassuming nature to his advantage as well. With a smile, he can inflict absolute horrors upon those who get in his way. He simply won't unless it's in the interest of his masters. Those who mean to bring them harm will find him to be a grinning demon - a nightmare made real. Cress actually rather abhors violence. But he is undeniably good at it when he needs to be.

Back Story: In his childhood, Cress was something of a crybaby. He was always whining about one thing or another. His parents didn't really know what to do with him. Then came a suggestion from his grandfather - then the head steward of Pryce Manor. He suggested the boy come to train under him in the ways of a gentleman. They took him up on the offer and Cress was sent to live at the manor with his grandfather, where he was appointed to the Pryce family heir, William, helping to take care of the young master as he grew and acting as a playmate. Cress became something of a confidant for William, who was adventurous and often got into trouble. He could trust Cress to keep a secret, if only because Cress was usually afraid to say anything.

However, a few years into his tenure at the manor, a situation arose where Cress found himself backed into a corner. He'd followed William on an outing into the city, where neither of them should have been. While there, they wandered into a rougher part of town where they ran afoul of some unsavory people. Noting Cress's timidity, they proceeded to pick on him. William lept to his defense but was immediately struck away. Seeing the bruise they'd given him, Cress felt responsible and stood up for the both of them. It didn't go marvelously, but they were eventually saved by Cress's grandfather. Following this, Cress asked the old man to teach him everything, not wanting to see the people he was responsible for getting hurt because of his own weakness. In time, Cress became a model gentleman, displaying civility when appropriate and relentless force when necessary.

These days, Cress is appointed as William's personal bodyguard, on top of everything, typically following his master's lead. When Will took it upon himself to participate in the Slayer Circuit, Cress accompanied him, becoming the first member of Will's team. Using the skills he'd amassed in years of playing the game with Will unofficially, he proved to be quite formidable, as well.

Name: Decker Harte
Age: 23
Gender: M
Species: Human
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Waiter
Residence: An apartment alone in Sol Nokia
Skills/Talents: Decker's fairly athletic and nimble, even outside of Virtua Space. He's a fairly difficult man to hit as a result of this, being able to dodge with relative ease. He's likewise pretty good at using dodging as a martial art by causing others to miscalculate and throw off their balance. He's also naturally charismatic and good at getting what he wants from people.
Striker: Ballistic Strikers - Starcrosses, a pair of one-handed crossbows

Skill Rank: Intermediate
Team: TBD...
Drive: Attractive Opposites
Drive Type: MOD
Drive Description: Decker can quietly mark other Slayers on the field, or even himself. By shooting the ball with a Drive bolt from Plus, Decker can temporarily turn the ball into a homing attack, targeting the marked Slayer. By hitting the ball with a Drive bolt from Minus, he can temporarily cast a repel field on the ball causing it to avoid contact with the marked Slayer on the field.
Limitations
• Both effects have a time limit. The Attract/Repel fields will dissipate ten seconds after being cast.
• After being triggered, Attractive Opposites is placed on a twenty-second cooldown, forcing Decker to space out uses.
• If Decker misses the shot required to cast the effect, it still counts as a use of the drive from whichever Crossbow he fired. Thus he'll still have to wait for the cooldown to end before he can use that crossbow again.

Special Moves:
• Flank-Shot - Decker hits the ball, intentionally missing his opponent, sending it behind them. Then he shoots the ball with Plus, causing the ball to suddenly turn completely around, striking the opponent from behind or an off angle.
• Orbital Strike - An exceptionally risky move in which Decker marks himself or an ally, then shoots the ball with both crossbows, causing the ball to orbit them. During that time they can repeatedly hit the ball to build up momentum, then at the end of the effect launch it at an opponent. It leaves Decker exceptionally open, however, with neither of his crossbows to use for several seconds, which is a long time in the game of Slay-Ball.

Personality: Decker is a charmer, plain and simple. He can't seem to help it, either, typically finding time to flirt with anything that has a pulse. He's easy on the eyes, has a smile that can melt hearts, and carries himself with a very comforting, laidback demeanor. People simply can't keep themselves from liking him. And he knows it. O', does he know it. Being well aware of his gift, he uses his charms to his advantage in getting whatever it is he's after. And yet the man understands there are lines you just don't cross. In fact, he'll be the first to express disgust with those who do. Flippant though he may seem, he's fairly kind. Or at least he certainly seems to be.

In most scenarios, he's the one who you want to do the talking. He's the diplomacy of any situation. But when diplomacy fails, he's more than capable of falling back on other methods. Namely, escape. Though he can be pretty crafty in situations that call for it. At this point he takes in stride the fact that those familiar with him don't really trust him, usually with a self-deprecating remark to accompany the instances in which it occurs, indicating that he would trust him either.

Back Story: Decker grew up in a single-parent environment, the son of a woman who really wanted nothing to do with him. He largely wound up taking care of himself as a result. He developed a knack for charming people to get out of trouble or to get things he needed. But as he grew older, this power went to his head. He became more and more of a shameless flirt, eventually evolving into a full-blown Casanova in his own right, using his charms to manipulate much more brazenly. He left many a broken heart in his wake, eventually growing a reputation for it. One that backfired on him in spectacular ways as no woman aware of him would have anything to do with him. And many he'd never met seemed to be wary enough to piece it together with ease. He found it more and more difficult to get things from people.

But it was the last woman Decker tried to woo that drove the point home. Playing him like a sucker, she challenged him to a Slay-Ball match under the condition that he'd leave her alone if she won. She did. Easily. But rather than leave him be, she took pity on him, and they spoke for a bit. During their conversation, Decker got a much-needed lesson in perspective, reflecting on his misdeeds. He wasn't sure how the topic came up, but she seemed impressed with his talent for Slay-Ball. He'd taken the game up as a hobby when he was younger, though never really took it seriously. She'd told him that she always loved the game. And that this would be the year she'd participate and win the Slayer Circuit. Following that conversation, she left, neglecting to give her name. Decker assumed it was to prevent him from bothering her again.

Later, his motives unknown, Decker appeared on the Slayer Circuit scene, showing a fair amount of skill.

Name: Nisha zol-Sumin
Age: 19
Gender: F
Species: Draknul
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Aspiring Virtua-Engineer
Residence: Her parents' garage in a fairly decent neighborhood of Sol Nokia
Skills/Talents: Nisha is a prodigal child - a technological genius of many stripes. She has noteworthy mechanical skill, advanced programming and computational knowledge, and more at her disposal. Because of this she has a knack for tinkering, as well as fixing things. And she's something of a machine empath, able to tell when something's wrong with a machine or program through even the slightest of indicators. She has a particular affinity for Virtua Space and all associated with it. Her ability to perceive information at a faster rate than most people, combined with her years of experience in fleeing when her experiments went... less than swimmingly, has contributed to her exceptional reaction speed as well. Her stature and demeanor often lead people to forget that she is, in fact, a Draknul, and therefore stronger and more resilient than most humans.
Striker: Orbital Striker - Mouse, a digital arrow that leaves a trail and orbits Nisha sort of like a comet (think the arrows shot from the Trophy guns in Super Smash Bros. Brawl). She can use the tail, which is solid (though fades after a time) as a barrier or strike with the always-solid arrowhead. Mouse has excellent range for an Orbital, and more power than usual, but extending it leaves Nisha very vulnerable.

Skill Rank: Newbie
Team: TBD...
Drive: Zone
Drive Type: AoE
Drive Description: By activating "Zone," Nisha can essentially "change the map." In other words, she can alter the arena to be as if the match is taking place in an entirely different location.
Limitations
• Nisha's "Map Hacks" only last for 2 minutes
• Zone needs to be charged by having Mouse's arrowhead hit the ball. As this takes a fair amount of time to build (it does charge passively, but very slowly), a typical match will only allow for maybe 2 uses of the Drive. Three if Nisha is being conservative.
• Unless the ball is near her when she goes to charge her Drive, Nisha has to extend Mouse in order to do so, leaving her exceptionally vulnerable.

Special Moves:
• CODE 001: SKATE - Nisha's first available map is an iced-over pond with snow all around and tall, snow-topped pine trees. On this map, Slayers need to be careful not to slip, as well as to watch for falling snow. (Unlocks at Rookie)
• CODE 193: SINK - Nisha's second map is on a pair of rocky islets, surrounded by water. Luckily, as the water isn't real, Slayers needn't worry about air. But their movement is restrained. Slayers want to be mindful not to fall in, lest they become sitting ducks. (Unlocks at Intermediate)
• CODE 074: ROCKSLIDE - Nisha's third map is on the side of a mountain experiencing a constant rockslide. If the tricky footing of the steep slope wasn't bad enough, Slayers need to watch out for boulders rolling down. (Unlocks at Adept)
• CODE 600: BRIMSTONE - Nisha's fourth map drops the Slayers into a volcanic field with very few safe footholds. This map severely limits movement of anyone ground-based. Touching the magma shaves off HP, and continues to do so the longer one stays in it. (Unlocks at Advanced)

Personality: Put plainly, Nisha is an eccentric genius with no real social skills to speak of. Which isn't to say she doesn't try. She actually has absolutely no qualms about making friends. But she doesn't really "get" a lot of social norms and taboos. She has boundless enthusiasm for her chosen pastime and relishes any opportunity to share it with others, even when they have absolutely no idea what she's talking about. Often times she'll passively remark on the lower intelligence of those around her, but it's not even meant to be insulting. She simply has that little of a filter and doesn't really get that people don't usually enjoy having it pointed out how much smarter you are than them. In short, Nisha is a colossal geek... and a bit of a mad scientist. Highlighted by the sheer volume of squee she gets out of any chance to fiddle with Virtua technology or test her creations in the field. She often used others as test subjects in the past, though nowadays she's fairly content to step into the field herself.

Nisha is fairly proud and loves any chance to show off her work. Better still, she has a habit of "pitching" her work to interested parties who she think might be willing to invest in her work or buy a contraption off of her. She's rather opportunistic about this, always sniffing out any opportunity to be noticed. Heck, sometimes she'll even start pitching during a match. Yet despite her interest in the money and glory, she does have a genuine love of simply sharing her passion with the world. She simply acknowledges that the other benefits aren't half bad.

Back Story: Nisha grew up in the Draknul Burrough of Sol Nokia. Academic pursuits of any kind honestly bored her, and she did terribly in school as a result. Yet she wasn't bored because she was disinterested. Quite the opposite. She was bored because she was already far more advanced than anything she was being taught. A genius since childhood, Nisha eventually took up an interest in Virtua Space, watching lectures on the subject, and attending demonstrations. "A realm where Virtual meets Reality." It was fascinated. As such, she dedicated most of her work to the field.

She was turned onto Slay-Ball by her parents, who supported her interest though didn't really know how they could be of any help to her, as it was all well over their heads. Originally perceiving the game to be more of a distraction than a help, Nisha eventually found herself regrettably addicted to it. Watching it became a way for her to think. She drew a great deal of inspiration from it. Eventually, she decided she wanted to try something the game hadn't really done before. But what? While chasing down the ever-elusive answer, she created tons of new Strikers and such. And then it hit her. An absolutely genius idea. But... she'd need to test it. So she devised a plan. She'd participate in the Slayer Circuit. Such a high-energy competition would surely let her test her creation's limits. And as a bonus, she could use the high profile nature of the competition to get her work more attention. And maybe even a few sponsors. Win-win! However, there was just one little obstacle to consider. She'd... never actually played the game, so... this would be interesting. Call it a learning experience! Yes! Win-Win-WIN! Aaand if she managed to actually take home the victory, it would be a testament to her smarts! Muahahaha!

Name: William Pryce III
Age: 19
Gender: M
Species: Human
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Aristocrat
Residence: Technically England, though he currently resides in the Pryce Away Home in Los Angeles
Skills/Talents: Chief among Will's talents is his affinity for getting into trouble. He has a keen investigative mind and uses it often, sticking his nose into things he shouldn't. Beyond that, he's shown a clear affinity for Slay-Ball, having played the game a great deal throughout his life. He's also a fairly talented actor, by the looks of things. He's managed to easily fool most people into thinking him a carefree rich kid, blissfully and endearingly unaware of the harshness of the world around him.
Striker: Basic Striker - Aegis, a round shield

Skill Rank: Intermediate
Team: TBD. Comes w/ Cress Wallenstein
Drive: Salvo
Drive Type: AMP
Drive Description: Salvo allows Will to infuse physical actions with literal explosive force, typically complete with a burst of flame. As such he's able to propel jumps over greater distances, accelerate himself like a rocket, and strike with inhuman force.
Limitations
• Constant usage leads to rapid fatigue, as do especially powerful explosions.
• Will can't project his explosions very far outward. They're intended for up-close usage, giving him limited ranged options and making it risky to employ in most situations.
• The bigger the explosion, the more charge-time is necessary to create it.

Special Moves:
• Rocketeer - Building up explosive power in his legs, Will is able to propel himself like a missile, allowing him to jump or dash at inhuman speeds.
• Spark Haze - Instead of causing large explosions, Will dazes his opponent by getting up close to them and throwing sparks in their face.
• Mortar - Will supercharges his next strike, launching the ball at impossible speeds with enough force to knock an opponent over, and shave off a large amount of HP if it hits them.
• Earthshatter - Usually a defensive move, Will charges up and punches the ground at his feet, shattering whatever floor is beneath them. The shockwave this creates is generally used to deflect a particularly nasty strike, though has other applications. (Unlocks at Adept)

Personality: As far as most people know, Will is a cheerful, idealistic, naive boy, so sheltered by his family lifestyle that he's blissfully unaware of the hardships of the outside world. Living a life where everything is done for him, one assumes he wouldn't know how to do anything. It's also typically assumed that his lacking knowledge of the outside world means he's easy to take advantage of and is a bad judge of character. By contrast, some people even still try to do things for him, based on the assumption that he wouldn't know how. He's endeared himself to the public with his fairly ideal way of thinking, so some don't have a problem with that sort of thing. Others are put off by him because of how he seems to unwittingly dismiss the struggles of the world around him in his naivety. Of course, this plucky innocence is a hardly anything more than a charade.

Will is a very serious-minded and stoic individual, sometimes to a fault. While truly idealistic and benevolent, at least in his own mind, Will is well-informed of the world's ills. Many of the donations made by his family are handled by him, not his parents. There's a certain air of melancholy about him. As if he's saddened by what the world must suffer and yet for all his riches, he can still only help so much. This likewise leads to cynicism and disillusionment. This front he puts on allows him to fairly easily pick out those who'd take advantage of others and deliver swift justice. However, Will is still young. Despite his sheltered upbringing, he has many of the same issues as anyone else his age and tends to be surprisingly insecure about them. For example, he's not exactly great at the whole "friends" thing, for obvious reasons. While he knows a great deal about what happens in the world, he's never personally experienced a lot of it, which can lead to awkward situations.

Back Story: Though nowadays used as something of a mask, there was a time when Will was genuinely wide-eyed and optimistic about the outside world. Living as sheltered a life as he did, he was easily bored and often went off on adventures of his own, though never really had friends to experience them with. But his attitude changed one day when on one of his outings, having dragged Cress along with him. This being the first time he'd ever had a run-in with actual "bad guys," Will froze. And when Cress came to his rescue, also getting hurt in the process, something clicked in his head, showing him how dangerous the world could actually be. He started learning how to defend himself. And as he was disallowed from going on more of his little adventures, he started paying more attention, letting himself become more informed. Unfortunately, he didn't like all he heard. He did what he could, arranging for numerous donations and benefits. But it didn't really make him feel like he was accomplishing enough.

When he was finally allowed out again, he comes up with an idea. Taking Cress with him, he decides to go out for the Slayer Circuit, believing it'd be a good chance to encounter various different types of people and learn about more things he could do to help. It just so happened that during the course of this event, he winds up in multiple scenarios that call for swift action, generally making him out as some manner of vigilante. To discourage people from looking into him, he turns his sheltered rich kid past into an active facade while continuing to do these things. All the while, he convinces people that he's participating in the tournament purely to "stave off boredom."

Name: Rozette "Roze" Lacroix
Age: 20
Gender: F
Species: Human
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Socialite
Residence: A penthouse apartment in the heart of Sol Nokia
Skills/Talents: Common belief suggests that Roze actually isn't good at much of anything. She's a marginally subpar Slay-Ball player, at best (though she is new to it, supporting the idea that she's a fairly quick study, based on how rapidly she did manage to improve), and a life of being constantly doted on has left her clueless as to how to operate in a number of ways, lacking many basic skills. If it isn't something she can throw money at, or sic her legion of maids on, then she's at a loss. Despite this perception, she's actually not inherently bad at everything, so much as she's painfully average at most things, at best.
Striker: Wearable Strikers - Oathbreakers, a pair of powerful gauntlets.

Skill Rank: Rookie
Team: TBD. Comes w/ Chanda Rousseau
Drive: Tempo
Drive Type: AoE
Drive Description: Roze is in possession of one of the latest V-Brace models, with an incredibly powerful, but still experimental Drive called "Tempo." Potential Side Effects be damned! Naturally, it was incredibly expensive. Tempo places a temporal distortion field near the user when triggered. If a Slayer or the ball disturb it, time will freeze for up to three seconds for all but her, affording her a chance to counter. To the outside world, it appears as if she moved with untraceable speed. When time resumes, any momentum carries. So if she interacts with anything while time is stopped, it will act upon her action when things start moving again.
Limitations
• Tempo is on a cooldown of 5 seconds once time resumes for every second that it was frozen, meaning the ability can be stalled on a cooldown for as long as 15 seconds.
• Tempo requires that Roze be aware of where something is coming from, as the temporal distortion field doesn't completely surround her. It only appears where she focuses it. In other words, this Drive is completely reactive.
• Rapid usage can lead to mental fatigue.

Special Moves:
• Time Jump - By projecting a field where she thinks the ball is going to hit her, easily stops time and gets out of the way.
• Time Guardian - Positioning herself between the ball and an ally, Roze can easily deflect the ball, giving allies a chance to gather their bearings or ready an attack.
• Tempora-ora-ora - Inspired by... something, Roze stalls time for her maximum stretch and pummels the ball repeatedly before resuming time. When time does start to flow again, the ball takes off like a missile in whatever direction she'd hit it while time was stopped.

Personality: Roze is a haughty young woman, to be certain. She's vain, materialistic, and unabashedly smug. The majority of her time is spent on fairly extravagant purchases and pursuits. Put plainly, she has a high opinion of herself and a relatively low opinion of (most) others. Though usually coming across as cold and aloof with a tendency towards deadpan snarkiness, she can get particularly nasty and snide if she feels like it. In fact, when properly motivated she can be unapologetically sadistic. Despite her typically cool demeanor, she's a hothead, ever eager to prove herself, and quick to anger if her self-ascribed superiority is legitimately challenged. She's otherwise more concerned with the prospect of wasting her time than anything.

Roze doesn't really "do" kindness or friendliness. It isn't that she doesn't grasp the concepts. Rather... she's not particularly good at them. Generally what she considers kindness is essentially bribery in exchange for companionship. Her lacking social skills means that all she really can think to do in casual conversation is talk about herself and her mountain or possessions. As such, any genuine attempt at being less... well... awful than she usually is, aside from typically being quite reluctant, comes across as awkward at the absolute best, and completely hollow and fake to those more cynical than otherwise.

Back Story: The Lacroix house is an influential family with a lot of pull in inter-planetary politics and the field of Virtua Technology. Naturally, they have no shortage of resources. In fact, it'd seem they have a bottomless bank account. The heads of the family once welcomed a daughter into the world - a beautiful creature who could do no wrong, in their eyes. And they named her Celine, the second of their two children. Celine's older sister, Roze, was... a different story. Throughout their childhood, Roze and Celine were good friends. But often times when they'd play together, it seemed Roze was simply perpetually behind the curb. Seeing the potential of Celine, their parents spared no expense in preparing her for the world, grooming her for greatness. And where did that leave Roze?

Resigned to the reality that their first daughter simply wasn't cut out for anything, Roze's parents instead did what they could to accommodate her existence. They bought her all the material things she could ever want, dedicated a portion of their maid legion strictly to her (for which she later hand-picked a new head maid, directly responsible for her care), and generally went about with pampering her as one might do a prized pet. Of course, this only perpetuated the problem by making her feel dehumanized. Removed from the need to do anything, she naturally never would learn.

Eventually, things reached a point where Celine was scarcely around. And even when she was, Roze was the older sister. Celine should be the one confiding in her, not the other way around, right? So Roze sucked it up and kept to herself. The constant guard detail on the family more or less voided outside friendships. And it was clear that many of her fellow aristocrats wanted little to do with her. With nothing else to do, she began waving her wealth around in order to get what she wanted, telling herself her own worth so frequently that she began to believe it, soon becoming a notably bitter person, insistent on reminding people they're beneath her whenever the contrary was suggested.

She eventually went to Sol Nokia for vacation, where she took an interest in Slay-Ball because "Hey, anyone can do it, right?" There she decided she'd participate in the Slayer Circuit and prove her greatness for herself. Naturally, she was followed by her Maid Legion, but would allow them to help her in this. People would need to learn her worth by her own hand. Still, the head maid was insistent on not allowing her to go it alone. And upon discovering that a team was required, they came to the compromise that only the head maid would help in this endeavor, and none of the others.

Name: Chanda Rousseau
Age: 24
Gender: F
Species: Human (At least, Roze is fairly certain she's human)
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Maid
Residence: Presumably w/ Roze in Sol Nokia, though she's only ever seen in Roze's penthouse when summoned.
Skills/Talents: Virtually anything Roze would want or need of her, Chanda can do it, and then some, with a level of hyper-competence that awes all who behold her. Chief among her many talents are cooking, cleaning, directing other maids in their daily responsibilities, and acting as a personal bodyguard. That's right, the katana? It's not a Striker. It's a 100% genuine article, right down to all the cutty, stabby parts. And if that doesn't work, she's exceptionally good at turning anything in arm's reach into a weapon. As a Maid, she's good at being out of sight until summoned, then has a knack for suddenly and conveniently appearing from thin air, usually with whatever item or service Roze needs.
Striker: Basic Strikers - Uriel, a Ball & Chain style weapon, except the ball is replaced with a large, heavy, church-type bell without a clipper.

Skill Rank: Intermediate
Team: TBD. Comes w/ Roze
Drive: Zadkiel's Hymn
Drive Type: AoE
Drive Description: Uriel gains a clipper and Chanda plays Zadkiel's Hymn with the bell to summon Zadkiel, a large Church Bell that hovers over the arena. Zadkiel initially has three chimes, each capable of producing a different effect. Upon Zadkiel's summoning, Chanda issues a command with Uriel to indicate which effect she wants.
Limitations
• Zadkiel can only have one chime active at any given time and the effects only last for 10 seconds.
• Each effect can only be employed once per summon, but Zadkiel will not go away until all three chimes have been sounded, meaning the minimum amount of time it can be up is 30 seconds if the effects are used back-to-back.
• Once Zadkiel has vanished, it has to be charged by hitting the ball.

Special Moves:
• Mute - Zadkiel's first available chime mutes the battlefield, rendering everything silent to all but Chanda and her allies.
• Vertigo - Zadkiel's second chime emits a frequency that causes vertigo in Chanda's opponents, causing dizziness, disorientation, and so-on for the duration.
• Amplify - Zadkiel's third chime casts a damage modifier on the ball, causing it to do three times the damage to opponents while in play. (Unlocks at Adept)

Personality: Chanda is a mysterious individual. On the surface, she may appear as completely stoic. This, however, is simply her unyielding devotion to Roze. Typically she remains silent unless directly addressed, being around when summoned and out-of-sight when not needed. On the off chance that she fails at something, she is nothing but submissive and apologetic towards Roze, often times devolving into self-deprecation, ready to receive whatever consequence her failure would beget. She will defend Roze with her life, and, when it comes to that, is incredibly severe about it. Ever at Roze's beck and call, she has a habit of appearing from thin air as soon as Roze claps her hands, usually having whatever it is Roze needs before she even asks, suggesting that she's somehow never out of earshot.

Towards others, Chanda displays the utmost decorum, poise, and professionalism. Her stoicism often times makes her come across as an unsmiling woman with no sense of humor. Though she does clearly possess a very dry sarcastic wit, generally hidden beneath her polite comments. Her understated nature, however, is not so much a disinterest in others as it is her thought process towards her job. A servant is a reflection on the quality of the master, in her mind. As such, she only ever does what she can to show what she believes her own master (or mistress, in her case) to be worth. Ultimately, Chanda is an enigma.

Back Story: Much of Chanda's background is shrouded in mystery. To hear Roze tell it, Chanda was simply one of her Maid Legion, standing out so much that she had to promote the woman. Beyond that, Chanda is lightyears ahead of the other maids - older and more experienced ones included. Seeing Chanda's absolute devotion, however, the real mystery is in why she goes to the lengths she does. Does she simply hold her job in that high of regard? Looking at the two of them, it's very clear that Chanda values Roze beyond simple servitude. But given the type of person that Roze is, that fact may seem odd.

The truth of the matter is that Roze doesn't remember the whole story. Chanda grew up in poverty. When she was only eight, she got caught trying to steal from a wealthy-looking man, only to be stopped by a woman in a black and white maid uniform. Rather than be turned in, however, the man's daughter asked that they not punish her, since she was just trying to survive. The daughter came up with the idea to let the girl train as a maid. That way they could give her a job when she was old enough. The daughter? A four-year-old Roze.

Though not initially grateful to Roze, Chanda eventually warmed up to the idea after a few talks from the head maid at the time, who was just as devoted to the young girl, as Roze was, in fact, the main reason she stayed. From then on, Chanda trained immensely hard, serving as a direct protege to the woman, who took Chanda under her wing. She became the most skilled maid in the force, and eventually wound up assigned to Roze's personal detail, where she found Roze to have changed quite a bit, becoming cynical and depressed. Over the years she witnessed all that Roze endured. Yet, conflicted between what she wanted to do and what she believed she should do, as per her role, she remained quiet, simply doing what she could to serve Roze loyally. All the while Roze began to less and less resemble the girl Chanda had met that day when they were children. Even still, Chanda remains fiercely dedicated to Roze.

Name: Scarlett Crowne
Age: 22
Gender: F
Species: Human
Appearance:


Status: Essential
Occupation: Student at Sarris University, Aspiring Pro-Slayer
Residence: An apartment in Sol Nokia
Skills/Talents: Scarlett has been playing Slay-Ball since she was a kid. As such, she's relatively good at it. And she's stayed in practice all this time. She's fairly good at riling people up and rallying them, given her natural charisma, never-say-die attitude, and surprising aptitude for speechifying. She's fairly capable of defending herself as well, largely due to years of being "the small one" meaning she needed to deal with being picked on and harassed. She's since had a growth spurt... or several.
Striker: Basic Strikers - Windup and Axle, a pair of weighted Yo-Yos that Scarlett uses as flails.

Skill Rank: Intermediate
Team: TBD
Drive: GATE
Drive Type: MOD
Drive Description: With GATE triggered, Scarlett can use Windup and Axle to sheer through space itself. This allows her to create rips in space - essentially portals, referred to as "Spatial Rends," which the ball and Slayers can travel through.
Limitations
• Each Yo-Yo has one charge of GATE. When the drive is triggered, it begins a three-second cooldown on the Yo-Yo used to open the Spatial Rend.
• The Spatial Rends created are unstable and collapse after the ball or someone passes through.
• Overly frequent travel through Spatial Rends can be disorienting, and even nauseating.

Special Moves:
• Space Cancel - Scarlett swings either Yo-Yo in an arc, creating a Spatial Rend to "deflect" the ball by redirecting it.
• Spatial Shift - Scarlett rips open a Spatial Rend, using it to reposition herself in an instant, typically clearing vast distances. Alternatively, she just sends one of the Yo-Yos through the Spatial Rend.
• Spatial Denial - Scarlett creates a Spatial Rend that obstructs a moving enemy, causing them to wind up out of position when they pass through.
• Hell's Gate - Scarlett opens a Multi-Gate, which is a Spatial Rend that breaks off into multiple different points. She then tosses a Yo-Yo (or both) through it and it emerges from every single Spatial Rend at once, converging on a point of interest. This, of course, requires masterful positioning and timing, or clever setup from the team, making it unbelievably difficult to connect. But the payoff is hitting the ball with some dozen Yo-Yos at once for a devastatingly powerful strike. (Unlocks at Advanced)

Personality: Scarlett gets her name from her personality. She burns red as a blaze, being hotblooded by nature. She's ragingly passionate, boundlessly determined, and extremely goal-driven. She comes across as someone incredibly confident and very much loves competition. Though she can be a bit of a handful as a result. She has a tendency towards impulsiveness, which factors into her honesty. And while that honesty can be very useful at times, it can also be a bit... uncompromising. Hotblooded as she is, she has a fairly short temper, usually leading to her challenging people who annoy her. And given her spunk, at times she can come across as a bit arrogant in her pursuits, getting smug with people when she's right or beats them at something. Above all else, though, Scarlett is a reliable person. She's both incredibly hardworking and wholly dedicated to her word. If she makes a promise, she will keep it. She's highly possessive and defensive of those she considers close friends, though is quite selective in choosing such people.

Scarlett generally remains fairly jovial and talkative. Her short temper actually makes her rather quick to get over things, so she isn't the sort to hold grudges, tending to actually be quite forgiving. She tries to avoid being negative at all, but there are times when it just can't be helped. For as optimistic as she usually comes across, there are times where she has to remind herself not to fall into cynicism. For all her spunk, she's quick to get lost in her own mind, leading to very inopportune distraction. But being the way she is, she's usually more liable to brush her problems off than really address them, figuring they'll just go away.

Back Story: When Scarlett was a child, she had a group of inseparable friends. The lot of them grew up together and were there to support one another through thick and thin. Among them, Scarlett was the youngest and smallest, but she kept up everyone's spirits. She was the happy-go-lucky optimist. They bonded over - what else - Slay-Ball. They'd play constantly, and Scarlett never won. And it'd get to her. But one of them always made her feel better. They all idolized the best Slay-Ball teams in the world. When they got together, they'd always talk about how one day they'd one day be counted among them. They even made a pact, once upon a time, that they'd do it together, rising to the top to become champions. And then middle school came along. Then high school. Driver's Licenses were given, boyfriends and girlfriends came and went, exams were passed, and before any of them knew it, it was time to choose career paths. Ultimately... time just happened. They kept up communication through moves, school changes, and all, but as it got less convenient, those lines of communication diminished. Members started missing their regular Slay-Ball practices, and soon even just talking one another was happening less often. Eventually, Scarlett was the only one still trying - constantly checking any of their various chat rooms, hoping for responses. Then came a time when no one was even seeing her messages.

Soon she was off to college in Sol Nokia, where she could be close to the game that brought her and her friends together in their childhood. She kept smiling, made a few new friends, but never really invested much in them emotionally. She was an enigma to her peers. Eventually, she sent a message through one of the old chat rooms, just out of morbid curiosity. Something about the upcoming Slayer Circuit, jokingly remarking that she just got a new V-Brace she wanted to try. Maybe they could finally make good on that childhood pact of theirs. Surprisingly, she got responses. Stunned at first, Scarlett soon got excited as her friends started to converse once again. They'd thought it sounded like a great idea. Everything began falling into place as she and her friends began planning everything out to take on the Slayer Circuit as a team. In that moment, Scarlett was the happiest she'd been in ages.

Things slowed down, leading up to the day before the season's opening. Scarlett waited at the place they'd agreed upon. An old hangout of theirs from the high school days, when they still hung out every now and again. And she waited. And waited. And waiting some more. Eventually, she was asked to leave so others could sit. She relocated to a nearby park, sending a message in hopes that they'd respond. Nothing. The moon was high in the sky. Just as Scarlett was about to get up and leave, she got a call from one of her friends. She jumped at it, only to hear two words she didn't want to hear: "I'm sorry!" The one friend who'd seemed most anxious about it all wouldn't be able to make it. She'd just gotten a new job and forgot to call earlier. Scarlett, being the kind of friend she was, brushed it off over the phone. Even congratulated her. But when the call ended, she left in a melancholic state.

Now what? Was this what growing up was like? Because if it was, it sucked. Reflecting on everything, Scarlett went through old messages from conversations years past. She found pictures of them all as kids, happy as can be. But a happy memory shouldn't make a person... sad... should it? Scarlett thought back to their childhood. That day they'd made a pact. And what was a pact but a promise? Then it hit her. She always keeps her promises. Finding her resolve in that fact, she made up her mind to take on the Slayer Circuit. She'd already fallen behind, with no partners ready for Day One, so she'd have some catching up to do.

Name: Thirteen "Kitty" Anders
Age: 18
Gender: F
Species: Human
Appearance:


Occupation: N/A, Occasionally Helps at the Cat'fe zet-Rann (The Cat Cafe Owned by Coffee's family)
Residence: In the Rann household with Coffee and her parents
Skills/Talents: Thirteen is known to have a knack for videogames, being quite good at them. She often beats Coffee at them, for example, and has a habit of very quickly grasping their concepts. She's a rather talented writer, though seems very self-conscious about this hobby. She's also known to be fairly good at defending herself, given her and Coffee's first meeting.
Striker: Orbital Striker - Gamble, a pair of large, black, six-sided Dice, capable of spinning rapidly. This speed allows them to be used to quickly defend and hit reasonably hard, though they have fairly limited range. On each of their faces, are glowing, blue Roman numeral, rather than dots.

Skill Rank: Newbie
Team: TBD
Drive: Roll
Drive Type: MULTI
Drive Description: Kitty possesses a unique V-Brace of unknown origin that comes with what may, in fact, be the most versatile Drive ever invented, capable of taking on any of the three types, depending on the Dice Roll. The roll is selected by hitting the ball with both Dice and seeing which faces the ball bounced from.
Limitations
• While there is a reasonable amount of skill at work in using this Drive, a fair amount of it is up to chance, making it unpredictable even to Kitty. Especially dangerous for Rolls that have negative side effects.
• A 20-second cooldown is initiated once the Roll is locked in, leaving a space of ten seconds between uses.
• Once the Roll has begun, it can only be disengaged by Kitty being hit. If Kitty secures a hit from one of the Dice, that Die locks into place, leaving her more open until she secures the second hit.

Special Moves: Initially 1 and 2 are the only active numbers on the dice, making any roll about Hard Four impossible. If a number higher than what's available is rolled, it is replaced by a 1 or 2. 2 for even numbers, 1 for odds. 3 and 4 unlock at Intermediate. 5 and 6 unlock at Advanced.
• Snake Eyes - A treacherous roll of the dice. If Kitty gets a Snake Eyes, her V-Brace administers a violent shock that chips away 10% of her own HP.
• Ace Deuce: Cloak (AMP) - By rolling an Ace Deuce, Kitty can effectively become invisible to her opponents for a 10-second window.
• Easy/Hard Four: RESET (AoE) - The first of the Easy/Hard shots, getting an Easy Roll nets no effect whatsoever. Rolling a Hard Four initiates "Reset," starting the match over, with the Ball once again neutral and all Slayers repositioned to their respective sides. But all players maintain whatever Health they were at prior to the reset. It's useful to resetting the momentum of the battle and removing any effects cast by Drives that were active before the reset.
• Fever Five: Flash (AMP) - Rolling a Fever Five triggers "Flash," which is an Amp, allowing Kitty LoS teleportation for ten seconds.
• Easy/Hard Six: Scale (MOD) - As with all Easy/Hard Shots, an Easy Roll doesn't trigger any effect. Rolling a Hard Six triggers "Scale," a drive that causes the ball to increase in size every time it bounces or is hit for a span of ten seconds, eventually making it too big to hit back as it also doesn't lose its speed or momentum. At the end of that time, the ball immediately returns to normal size.
• Seven Out: Target Lock (MOD) - When Kitty rolls a Hard Eight, the ball takes on a homing effect aimed at the last opponent who hit the ball. This effect holds for ten seconds or until the target takes damage from the ball.
• Easy/Hard Eight: Instinct (AMP) - As with all Easy/Hard Shots, an Easy Roll doesn't trigger any effect. When Kitty rolls a Hard Eight, she activates an AMP called "Instinct," allowing her to dodge even the most intense onslaughts effortlessly for ten seconds.
• Nina: Crush (AoE) - By rolling a Nina, Kitty can send out a Die. All players in a certain radius of it are affected by increased gravity until the Die returns after ten seconds. (Obviously, this comes at the expense of one of her Dice, leaving her more open).
• Easy/Hard Ten: Cancel (AoE) - As with all Easy/Hard Shots, an Easy Roll doesn't trigger any effect. Rolling a Hard Ten triggers "Canel," an AoE effect that prevents opponents from using Drives for ten seconds. It doesn't neutralize sustaining Drives that are already in effect (such as Zadkiel's Hymn or Zone) but does prevent their activation if they haven't been triggered yet.
• Yo-leven: Pain Share (MOD) - Rolling Yo-level casts an effect on the ball, causing the next person to hit or be hit by it to take damage, bringing them down to equal Kitty's current HP. This effect wears off after ten seconds if the ball makes contact with no one.
• Midnight: Midnight (MOD) - The effect generated by Midnight is simply called by the name of the roll. When Kitty makes this dice roll, her dice orbit her more rapidly. This effect holds for ten seconds. If she manages to hit the ball again in that ten seconds, the ball becomes a small mass of black energy that builds in size and power before being fired as a powerful beam attack that shaves off half of an opponent's HP upon hitting them. When the attack has finished, the ball returns to its usual form, losing the majority of its momentum.

Personality: Kitty is a fairly reserved and somewhat standoffish individual, prone to bluntness and snarkily deadpan remarks. She keeps to herself when at all possible. Her coldness isn't meant to be spiteful, so much as defensive. She has a difficult time trusting people and is fairly closed off to most new experiences, usually being content to simply bury herself in a book. As a result of this highly evident lack of social skills, she tends to get easily flustered if the right buttons are pushed, leading to awkward rambling at times. As a nervous tic, she has a habit of removing her glasses and wiping them off very thoroughly. To the point where one has to wonder how the glass doesn't crumble into dust.

She tends to wax poetic at times, no doubt because of how much reading she does. This leads to her being quite good at choosing her words, though this skill vanishes entirely whenever she's emotionally compromised. She very much loves reading and seems to have an interest in writing, though doesn't dare show her scribbles to anyone for fear of dying from embarrassment. This peculiarness with words and their meanings led to her dislike of her given name, Thirteen, because it's often perceived as an unlucky number in many societies. She doesn't want to be considered unlucky, so she goes by the nickname Coffee gave her. She's honestly adorakable in general, as she prefers keeping some of her less... savory fictional interests hidden from others, but is known to geek out over them when she thinks no one's paying attention. Naturally, she gets highly defensive when she learns someone is.

Despite her hangups, Kitty is a very sweet and clever girl and can be rather cunning. As she's usually known to keep her cool, she's very analytical. This allows her to very easily grasp a situation and adapt to it, both in and out of battle. Of course, this only works as long as she's able to focus. Furthermore, while she's very levelheaded most times, she's an incredibly passionate person at heart. When she feels strongly about something, it's very clear.

Back Story: Thirteen appeared in the alley behind the cafe owned by Coffee's family, one night. Coffee had been sent to take out the trash when she found Thirteen sitting near it. At the time Thirteen was rather worse for the wear. Coffee tried helping her, but she was unresponsive. Moments later, they were approached by a drunk man who Coffee had kicked out, earlier that day. Intending to get back at her, he showed up again with a knife. Thirteen suddenly sprang to her feet in Coffee's defense and disabled the man. She proceeded to tell Coffee to alert the authorities but before she could leave, Coffee insisted she come inside. She reluctantly accepted. Inside, Coffee managed to coax out a story from her after a barrage of honestly harmless questions.

Her siblings had gone missing. Whatever took them left their home in ruin. She'd survived the destruction, but now she had to find her siblings. Unfortunately, she has no idea where they could be and managed to get herself lost in her search. She noted holes in her memory surrounding what happened. Taking pity on Thirteen, Coffee offers to let her stay with them. Her parents seemed open to the idea. Not certain how to respond to this kindness, Thirteen accepted. But when asked her name, she made a note of pointing out how she wasn't fond of it. Thinking on this, Coffee looked around the cafe. Eventually, she caught a glimpse of one of the cats and came up with the nickname "Kitty."

Sometime later, Kitty began to hear about the Slayer Circuit. Something in the back of her mind nagged her that she'd find answers by pursuing the event. Supported by Coffee, she took it upon herself to compete, hoping it'd lead her to her siblings and whatever happened when their home was attacked.

Name: Soren Chavosk
Age: 28
Gender: M
Species: Kundaac
Appearance:


Occupation: Mechanic, Parent, Aspiring Pro-Slayer
Residence: A private residence in Sol Nokia
Skills/Talents: Soren is an exceptionally talented mechanic, having an affinity for anything vehicular. He's repaired and restored some of the most advanced hunks of metal on Earth. Aside from that, he has a knack for strategy, which isn't surprising given his species and background. Soren is fairly good at Slay-Ball, having dedicated many hours to practicing the sport.
Striker: Basic Striker - Whiplash, a Kundaaki boomerang

Skill Rank: Intermediate
Team: TBD
Drive: Juggernaut
Drive Type: AMP
Drive Description: Juggernaut is a powerful AMP Drive that drastically augments Soren's strength and fortitude, essentially turning him into a living fortress for a brief time. In this state his strength is enough to eclipse the momentum of the ball, causing him to take reduced damage for the duration, as well as hit strikes ordinarily too powerful to directly counter.
Limitations
• Juggernaut, being an AMP, leaves Soren more fatigued, the more he exerts himself while using it.
• Juggernaut only remains active for 30 seconds.
• Juggernaut needs to be charged by hitting the ball in order to trigger it again once it expires.

Special Moves:
• Sonic Fist - Soren winds back and throws a punch with such force that it creates a gust of wind.
• Seismic Stomp - Soren stomps his foot, creating a fissure that stretches out in front of him. Or, depending on how he stomps, he rips up a slab of earth directly in front of him, generally used as a shield.
• Dirt in Your Eye - Soren kicks the ground, knocking up a violent wave of dirt and debris in front of him.

Personality: Soren is a Kundaac with an enormous pole up his backside. He’s very overly serious, at times taking things more seriously than he probably should. It'd do him good to lighten up a bit. As with most Kundaac, he is incredibly proud, but also incredibly paranoid. He's all about order and structure. Discipline is his people's language. Despite this, he's fairly irritated by the assertion that he doesn't know how to have fun. Of course, it's largely accurate. He doesn't have much of a sense of humor, nor does he tend to go out of his way to do anything spontaneous or unconventional. Strategy meetings and fixing weapons are his equivalent of "fun." It's to be expected, considering his being Kundaaki. Their people are a very formal, tightly wound bunch. Aside from that, they're known to be exceptionally good at the art of war. And they revel in it. The same can be said for Sorem in a way. His veins run with the blood of his people. While not especially warlike or bloodthirsty, Soren does seek out conflict and look to resolve it. It isn't so much that he finds it fun, as he just doesn't feel right without something to be in conflict with. This restlessness is what steers him toward competition. It's an ongoing conflict, and needn't even result in death.

Despite his rather overly serious personality, Soren isn't a bad guy. He doesn't live to ridicule others. It's simply habit. He's used to things being a certain way and doesn't really grasp the concept of taking things easy. But he's fairly upstanding, and will usually be the first to jump to someone's aid if he deems it necessary. He's highly self-sacrificing in that regard. Though he has a habit of not thinking these things through, and his compulsion to do the right thing can cause him trouble. He's likewise not above being friendly, though obviously isn't the cuddliest and most welcoming looking person, especially considering that he never seems to remove his armor.

Back Story: Soren is a Kundaac from the Kundaaki homeworld. As with all his kind, he served in the military where he learned their people's deepest codes of honor and discipline. Following his service, he took a job as security on a station in the planet's orbit. But it was so dreadfully dull. There was no action there for him. What little crime there was, the station's A.I. units saw to it with total ease. Unable to feel satisfied with such a position, Soren eventually found himself invested in vids of battles taking place on Earth, and streaming across the galaxy. At first, he'd wondered if there was a war. A friend eventually explained the concept of Slay-Ball to him. Sorem thought about it. He hadn't considered a sport before. Most of the similar events that his own people had were mere strategy simulations. They weren't quite the same. They never felt real. There wasn't the sense of conflict. Of stakes. Because real people weren't in them. It required too much... imagination. And it was painfully boring to watch.

Having made up his mind, Soren decided to leave for Earth. Eventually, he found work as a mechanic, eventually buying everything he'd need to start working on his Slay-Ball game. He was incredibly taken off guard by the laidback nature of Earth in comparison to his own homeworld. While there, he met a Kundaaki woman named Naryah Zsadal. She was so unlike their people - free as a bird and playful. She helped him lighten up, if only slightly. A fascinating woman, to be certain. As they spent more time around one another, eventually they got together seriously. Soren promised her much but felt horrible as time went on and he was unable to deliver on those promises because of his lack of funds with which to spoil his new family. She'd told him not to worry about it but, sensing that he was adamant about keeping his word, she decided to simply be supportive.

Eventually, he caught himself watching television when a thought occurred to him. The Slayer Circuit. Successful competitors were known to make a considerable income. Thus Soren dug out his V-Brace from when he arrived on Earth. Dusting it off, he decided it was time to follow through on the reason he came to the planet in the first place. Supported by his loving wife and infant son, Soren set out to take on the Slayer Circuit that he might improve their lives.