Ariel
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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| Ariel, after a fight outside Perez Park's gate | |
| Ariel | |
| Player: @FreelanceWizard | |
| Origin: | Science |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Scrapper |
| Security Level: | 50 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Sarah Anderson-2 |
| Known Aliases: | None |
| Species: | Bioengineered Human clone |
| Age: | 4 (apparent: 19) |
| Height: | 5' 2" |
| Weight: | 95 lbs |
| Eye Color: | Iridescent blue |
| Hair Color: | Purple-blue |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | American |
| Occupation: | Hero |
| Place of Birth: | Crey Industries lab in Independence Port, Paragon City |
| Base of Operations: | Paragon City |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Known Relatives: | Deceased |
| Known Powers | |
| Omnium claws, preternatural reflexes and perception, cybernetic strength and speed, nanotech regeneration | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Composer and musician (violin, keyboard) | |
| Equipment | |
| Recording studio (at home) | |
| No additional information available. | |
Ariel is the name of a bioengineered heroine who is a member of the Templars of the Abbey. She was originally affiliated with the Nemesis Council as early as the Second Rikti Invasion (at the end of the City of Heroes beta test), but left to join the New Porter Institute for Psychical Research after a falling out with Dr. Nemesis and the rest of the Nemesis Council.
Contents |
History
Ariel was originally cloned by Crey Industries before the Second Rikti Invasion (at the end of City of Heroes beta). Shortly afterwards, she was "adopted," so to speak, by Dr. Nemesis.
Personality
Ariel is generally shy, somewhat skittish, and emotionally immature, but kind and well-meaning. She is quite naive, but is seeking to expand her expertise. She's found that she's a bit of a sensation junkie -- the result of her enhanced senses. She also has strong beliefs on forgiveness and the nature of heroism, as well as a deep committment to a belief that the world is a bright place and that all people, at their core, have a light of good within them that just needs to be brought out. This often causes her to assume that everyone is acting in what they believe to be everyone's best interests, a perspective that often causes her to blame herself for other's actions. She rarely, if ever, writes anyone off as a "bad guy" unless she sees them actively harming others, and even then, she always offers a chance to surrender peacefully. In a way, she sees herself a modern knight, defending the defenseless and protecting the downtrodden and the common man.
Despite, or perhaps because of, her views on people, she has very little self-confidence, and is often terrified of and cowed by those who she thinks are "good" but treat her or others harshly. She's extremely quiet in large crowds, and rarely opens up unless repeatedly prodded without others around. Nevertheless, she has a surprisingly strong will and is absolutely steady in her convictions that people are inherently good and the world is, in fact, a wonderful place. She's usually quiet cheery, but can be easily upset or thrown off balance in social situations.
Perhaps due to her low self-esteem, Ariel often stutters, pauses in the middle of sentences (or, conversely, runs sentences together when upset), and peppers her speech liberally with "um"s.
Powers
As a result of advanced genetic engineering and cybernetics, Ariel has superhuman physical attributes.
Cybernetics
The core of Ariel's abilities come from her cybernetic modifications, all of which are managed by her Bio-Computer System Executive -- a pair of redundant computer systems. One BCSE module is mounted in her chest, while the other is mounted in her skull. A set of synthetic nerve fibers connect the two modules to each other, her brain, and to a variety of electrostimulators mounted on her muscles and glands. The BCSE computers carefully manage her body's functions, keeping her at a state of peak physical condition and combat readiness. During downtime, the BCSE system provides isometric exercise and stimulates tissue regrowth. In combat, it boosts her metabolism to superhuman levels, causing the world to "slow down" from her perspective. Various inhibitory loops reduce her perception of pain, while nerve conduction speeds are enhanced by increasing transmitter production. The BCSE also uses its electrostimulation systems to enhance motor speed and coordination, as well as muscle contractile strength. In times of extreme stress or danger, the BCSE can initiate motor programs on its own, bypassing her brain entirely; it also uses its own customized and tuned motor programs to replace her own in certain circumstances, such as walking. The BCSE is also quite capable of recording and mimicking the actions of others, which gives Ariel the ability to quickly pick up new physical actions -- whether they be dances or combat styles.
In addition to the BCSE, Ariel's muscles are also enhanced with synthetic fibers that can contract faster and more strongly than mundane fibers. Carbon fiber and omnium bone reinforcements and joint replacements allow her to withstand substantial injury and exert extreme force without being injured. Her eyes have small microchip cameras on the retina to increase visual acuity, and her ears contain wide-spectrum transducers to pick up even the faintest sounds. Finally, a set of nanotech robots provide immediate tissue repair and an increased immunity to diseases and toxins. The end result of all of these modifications is that she's lightning fast, incredibly perceptive, and supernaturally strong, even given her small stature. She's been known to slice through solid titanium, knock over and throw Malta Titans, and outrun bullets and missiles (at least in short bursts).
All of these cybernetic devices produce a prodigious amount of heat, so Ariel has a notably large thermal signature. They also require a large amount of energy, taken from blood glucose, to operate effectively. Finally, they're extremely vulnerable to electromagnetic pulses -- a large enough pulse can paralyze her or throw her into an extremely painful seizure, at least until the BCSE system can reboot itself. Theoretically, a pulse powerful enough to permanently damage the computers could be used to kill her.
Bio-engineered Modifications
In addition to her cybernetic modifications, Ariel's metabolism is innately much faster than that of a normal human, and her cardiovascular system is optimized to provide truly impressive blood flow and oxygenation. Her musculature is enhanced both in contractile strength and endurance, and her immune system is designed to quickly isolate most threats. All of these features combined, even without her cybernetics, would keep her at the peak of physical fitness.
In addition, her senses have been enhanced by adapting features from various genomes. Her ears are large and pointed and reflexively turn to locate and amplify sounds. Her eyes contain a tapetum lucidum, a reflecting membrane that considerably improves her low-light vision, and her modified genome gives her four-color vision that extends into near-ultraviolet. All of her other senses are likewise enhanced, giving her an almost supernatural level of perception that makes her practically impossible to surprise.
Claws
Ariel's claws are made of an iridescent silver-blue material known as omnium, which is produced synthetically on Primal Earth. This metal is incredibly hard, which lets it slice through almost any substance with ease. The claws are embedded in her forearms and span their entire length. Their actuators are connected to her BCSE computer system, which allows her to trigger them on command, or by reflex if the computer detects an imminent threat. Each claw extends through a small flap of synthetic skin-like material between her knuckles, and internal locks freeze her wrists while her claws are extended. A self-regenerating oiling and sharpening system maintains the blades at razor sharpness.
Affiliations
Ariel is ostensibly a member of the Templars of the Abbey, though she rarely spends time with any of them.
Friends and Allies
Ariel considers Jada Austen, at one time her lover, her closest friend. Cassandra Nightshade is her adopted "big sister," whom she looks up to with almost a form of hero worship. Despite an extremely bad end to their relationship, she still considers Mazin Wystan a friend. To an extent, she holds a crush for Kara Dengo, but she considers any relationship with her an entirely unattainable goal. She holds no particular ill will towards other Templars; in fact, she's afraid of most of them.
Enemies
Ariel is so friendly and naive that she doesn't consider anyone her enemy. However, as a decorated Hero of the City, it's likely several villain groups consider her their foe. Tyrant's Praetorians, in particular, have each been defeated by her in single combat, and likely hold a grudge. She's currently unaware of the enmity Perfect Ariel holds for her, though she is aware of her "sister's" existence.
Other Notes
This information on Ariel is based on future developments in her current storyline, which will return her to her original concept (detailed in this page).
