ASPER

TLDR:

• ASPER (they/them)
• Android mystic actively breaking down due to body malfunctions that have damaged their emotion processors
• Body used to be owned by Shujiao (she/her), a cultivator + cleric of Aeryn-Vox
• Based on Shujiao’s writings, they have been trying to find a data-temple that might contain info on how to prevent continued deterioration
• Has been acting as a smuggler to slowly fund their way between worlds

Character Questions

General

• Who are you now?
  • ASPER (they/them)
  • Android mystic who is actively deteriorating
• Why are you the class you are? What drew you to this path instead of another?
  • Instead of being drawn to Aeryn-Vox as a cleric, they felt more drawn to what she represents, rather than her as a divine being overall.
• What do you specialize in? Combat, science, mysticism, tech, diplomacy, etc.?
  • mysticism, religion
• What are your personal edicts and anathemas? Describe a situation that might challenge or complicate those beliefs.
  • Edicts:
    • Patience and persistence in all things.
    • Pursue the truth no matter what.
    • Relentlessly document and interpret data.
  • Anathemas:
    • Fail to safeguard magical texts, artifacts or knowledge.
    • Engage in overly unhealthy or self-destructive behaviors.
    • Hold a grudge.
  • If the information that needs to be documented could dramatically disrupt the lives of the people in their mystic bond. If it's choosing between those close to them over magical texts. If patience would backfire tremendously.
• What are your current goals? What do you want to change or preserve in the galaxy?
  • They want to share the information locked away in the data temples; they believe that if she didn't want the temples to be sought after that she wouldn't have marked them with her symbols and left them as a sort of puzzle to find.
• What circumstances led you to traveling through the fringes of space near the nominally Hollow Star planet of Kiliv-VI?
  • Naeri actually contacted ASPER and suggested it based on information she received; she strongly implied that it would lead them in the right direction of a data temple without outright saying it. They “borrowed” Siryu’s ship in the meantime.
• How did you gain your class abilities? Formal training, private sector enhancement, military service, experimentation, accident, natural talent?
  • Technically natural talent? It was more of a natural extension of learning about Shujiao; she became wholly devoted to Aeryn-Vox, and while they feel strongly connected to their shared god, they feel more attuned to what she represents rather than the goddess herself.

Background & History

• Who were you before your current role or journey?
  • A failed diplomat. They shadowed Naeri for a time being, but that was quickly shut down once their seemingly uncaring interactions caused tensions to rise and a few bullets shot. They were asked not to do that again.
• Are you aligned with any organizations?
• What did you do before joining up with that organization?
• What is your strongest memory from earlier in your life? Are there memories you’ve lost or that haunt you?
  • The first loss of someone in their bond. ASPER was young and had made tentative ‘friends’ with a cultivator that kept in contact after they left the temple. Her name was Raz, a human who had grown up in the temple. She was very quiet and kept to herself for the most part, but the two kept in communication despite it. One moment she was there, a constant in the bond, and the next, gone. ASPER quickly contacted Velin, who revealed that Raz got caught up in a fire fight while out purchasing supplies and no one was there to help.
• If your life had gone differently, what would you be doing now?
  • Entirely possibly they’d be back at the temple working with Velin. Potentially even becoming sect leader should they have properly pursued cultivation instead of learning the beliefs behind it and leaving with no proper practice.
• Where were you born or raised? Planet, station, habitat, ship, etc.?
  • Technically on Naeri’s ship, but also partially on the small planet of [insert name here] at the Sòng Tiān Temple. Most of their life has been spent on ships, however.
• Who were you closest to in your past?
  • For a while there was another person helping out Siryu: Siryu’s cousin, Ko. They were bubbly and easy to get along with, but didn’t seem fit for constant space travel and decided to settle down in the next big port that they stopped at. At one point, ASPER offered to bring them into their bond, but they shut that down without hesitation.
• Who did you consider your family—biological, adopted, and/or chosen?
  • Naeri basically raised ASPER as a mother, teaching them how to be someone while also grieving Shujiao.
• Describe a moment or event that deeply shaped who you are now.
  • After leaving Song Tian Temple, ASPER fell into a bit of a rut for a few years and struggled to figure out what to be doing. During this time, Naeri grew increasingly concerned and eventually brough out one of Shujiao’s journals and passed it along to them. They read through it and was completely fascinated with what they found there. Naeri hesitated for a while to give another, but when they saw how ASPER found a purpose with tracking what Shujiao did in life, she kept giving them book after book. There are still several that she hasn’t passed along from the end of Shujiao’s life that ASPER has been vying for for years.

Connections

• Name three NPCs from your past that you still think about. Are they alive? Where are they now?
  • (Bonus since important. lol) Shūjiǎo (书角) (she/her, ~137 when passed the body along) - The old owner of ASPER's body, and a cleric of Aeryn-Vox. She was part of a group of cultivators (Sòng Tiān (送天) Temple) who were trying to bring about a new age of 'immortality' by integrating artificial beings into their practices. At some point before releasing her body, her cultivation caused a full body malfunction, changing her from a very kind and outspoken person into someone that became more reserved and ended up writing her thoughts down into several journals rather than speaking them aloud. She left the temple with Naeri Astana not long after, and then passed these journals along to her to give to the next owner of her body before she underwent renewal. During renewal, there was a 3 year period of time where no new soul entered, and the body began to break down further.
  • Naeri Astana (She/her, 41y/o, alive) - A lashunta diplomat with connections to the Concord of Aedryn and follower of Drav'kyn. She was close with Shujiao before her cultivation accident, and took her in when she expressed her wish to leave. During the renewal period, Naeri grew increasingly worried about the state of Shujiao's body and attempted to get assistance in repairing it, but very little could be done beyond making sure that the deterioration didn't worsen. When ASPER took over the body, she was relieved and did her best to fill them in on any questions that they might have. To her surprise, they took quick interest in Aeryn-Vox without any prompting from her, so she very tentatively took them back to the temple that Shujiao lived for the majority of her life.
    • After about a yearish there, ASPER got her to take them back with her on her ship after a disagreement between them and Velin.
    • She introduced them to Siryu.
    • Since then, the two of them have been working odd jobs here and there transporting goods under the radar for her.
  • Velin Desat (Velin Desat of circle Song Tian Temple) (he/him, 34y/o, alive) - A blind vlaka who was raised within the temple and who has spent the past 20 years as sect leader. He very briefly knew Shujiao before she left, so when ASPER returned, they were welcomed with open arms. However, ASPER quickly left barely a year later after a disagreement between them broke out over the purpose of cultivation; he believed that it is only when you ascend to immortality that you realize your true potential in the world, while ASPER felt that ascension was not necessary to achieve that. He has tried bringing them back after their argument, and even sent some cultivators after them, but ASPER did not want to go back. Despite this, they still keep him in their mystic bond.
    • Relatively tense relationship between them.
  • Siryu (she/her, 22 y/o, alive) - A pahtra ship pilot. She's mostly known for running a beat up piece of garbage that she lovingly calls the Rusty Curiosity, but when she's working, it runs like a beauty. She specializes in working under the radar, which leads her to transporting things most people would raise an eyebrow to. She also takes on passengers for the right price. However, with the nature of her jobs, she needed someone to help her out, which led to Naeri recommending ASPER to take up the job. What they didn't realize was that the job was basically just a smuggling gig, but they quickly adjusted once the confusion was cleared up.
• Do you have any prior connection to any of the other PCs?
  • The 26 Laws of Power
    • Ended up being on the Rusty Curiosity for a time where ASPER sat down near them and kept asking questions. They’d get a response, they’d type it down, pause, and then ask another question. They didn't get to interact with many new people, so finding new information was welcomed regardless of who it came from.
• Mystic Bond - Up to 10 willing creatures; i always know general direction and HP totals, if concious/unconscious, dying, or dead. At 3rd, this also extends to other members of the bond with each other.

1. Naeri Astana
2. Velin Desat
3. Siryu
4. Party Member #1
5. Party Member #2
6. Party Member #3
7. Party Member #4
8. Party Member #5
9. Party Member #6

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Player Questions

• What themes or story arcs are you hoping to explore with this character?
  • What it means to be religious despite the fact that they are an artificial being
  • Dealing with those who recognize 'you' when their idea of who you are and who you are being two different things
• What kind of gameplay experience do you want mechanically? (e.g. utility, heavy hitter, problem solver, weird build)
  • healer + utility

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Campaign Preferences

• As this is the flagship campaign in the new world how would you prefer technical terms be given out?
  • maybe a basic "heres some things your characters would know" while the rest comes up naturally through questions during game and such. if i am understanding this correctly lmfao
• What are you hoping to see in this campaign? (Tone, themes, types of encounters or problems)
  • Truth vs lies? Haunting the narrative? I’m kind of struggling to come up with an answer here
• What content or themes would you prefer not to be included?
  • ideally avoiding explicit depiction of animal death would be good and hurting children
• This campaign will include themes of extortion/slavery, control, death, and post/transhumanism. Are there any specific types of loss or emotional beats (e.g. betrayal, body horror, loss of autonomy) that are off-limits for you?
  • a heads up for specifically eye damage would be good, but otherwise i am good!
• There are some horrors innately related to space (e.g. loneliness, time distortion, etc) is there any special way you'd prefer I broach these topics?
  • no! i'm good