Arianrhod "Aria" Argall, from Titans Of Alke - Blood & Steel, a roleplay on RPG

Main Theme 1 ~ Wings to Fly ✧ Main Theme 2 ~ Blumenkranz ✦ Motif ~ Flower Dance ✧ Happy ~ 02 ✦ Sad ~ Wingless ✧ Battle Theme ~ Theme X
{"I love the name of honor more than I fear death."}
- Julius Caesar

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{N A M E}

Arianrhod Aderyn Argall

Origin and Meaning: Her name is Welsh in origin. Arianrhod means literally "silver wheel," and is thought to be the name of an ancient moon goddess in Welsh mythology. Aderyn means "bird," and is of a more contemporary usage. Argall, finally, means "dweller in a quiet place." Within the setting, Argall is the name of a rather prosperous family of pilots who rose to an almost aristocratic standing following the colonization of Alke and the brief period of turmoil that followed as a unified government struggled to establish itself. Aderyn, meanwhile, is actually her birth name, while Arianrhod is an honorific she took on following her adoption into the Argall family, with her original name relegated solely to use as a title or nickname of sorts.

{N I C K N A M E}

Ensign: Her technical military rank as squad commander, which, thanks to her family's influence, she theoretically already possesses even if she's still in training. Usually, this is what her squad calls her when in the field.

Aria: Derived from her honorific as part of the Argall clan. Usually, this is the name she goes by, save when on formal family business, where she uses her full name. This is usually when her squad calls her when off duty

Aderyn: Her birth name, and one she admittedly prefers, as, although she is embittered towards her old family, she nevertheless feels as though her persona as a member of the Argall clan is something of a sham. Thus, she prefers if those especially close to her would call her by this name, rather than the one given to her by her clan. As of yet, though, not even her squad members are considered "close" enough to address her by this name.

Ryn: A nickname pretty much nobody has ever called her save her original birth family. The only reasons anyone would call her this would be if they were close enough to be considered kin, or were belittling her.

{A G E}

{G E N D E R}

Female

{R O L E}

Leader of Talos Squad

{B I R T H D A T E}

March 20, ♈

{S E X U A L I T Y}

Heterosexual

{"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."}
- Aristotle

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{H E I G H T}

Five feet, nine inches.

{W E I G H T}

124 pounds.

{E Y E C O L O R}

Violet.

{H A I R C O L O R}

Silver.

{I N F O R M A T I O N}

Physical Description: A tall, lean girl, she possesses a somewhat athletic build, with most of her height slanted towards her limbs. Despite her rigorous physical training, she lacks physical bulk. Thus, due to her sheer thinness, it's hard to make a judgement of her musculature at a glance. Although still a girl by most standards, she walks the fine line between youth and adulthood. Her body falls onto the latter end of the spectrum, as with her rather unusual height and somewhat curving physique, it would be hard to call her childish. At the same time, however, her skin is very pale and soft, two traits of hers which are likely brought on both by a life lived largely indoors and by her ancestors' lives being spent largely cooped up in spacecraft. Her hands are rather small, and her shoulders narrow, giving them a somewhat dainty appearance despite the obvious signs of use marking her palms. And her face, foremost of her features, yet remains rather girlish, with a somewhat dull jawline framed by prominent cheeks, tender pink lips hiding bright white teeth, small ears hidden beneath the curtains of silver that run down either side of her face, and a petite nose placed right between twin violet eyes shining brightly as the centerpiece of a gentle countenance. Her narrow forehead bears two thin, if rather well defined eyebrows of a similar shade to the hair that half-covers them most of the time, her bangs trimmed into a curtain just short enough not to obscure her vision. Long, silvery tresses run down her neck on either side, and a straight, pristine curtain of locks as white as snow cascades down to a spot just above the small of her back. Taking her appearance as the whole of her parts, then, she is undoubtedly rather pleasing to the eye. But, whether one sees her as a woman or a mere girl depends solely upon how she acts, as, being as she is now, it's simply rather difficult to make a distinction.

Attire: Arianrhod's most common attire is a rather distinctive uniform. Although it is similar in components and design to the basic gear of a Titan Pilot, its coloration and ornamentation are both wholly unique, serving to identify her on the basis of her ancestry and high standing, similarly to a knightly coat-of-arms. Consisting of a white silken blouse with golden buttons, as a pair of matching-colored, heavier trousers - made from an airtight synthetic material that interlocks with her jacket and boots to serve as a basic environmental suit should it need to - with similar trim, and a padded white-on-pastel-blue flight jacket, it bears a rather iconic golden wing insignia, at the center of which lies a small ruby, similar to those inlaid in a pair of silver clip-on earrings she wears at all times. These, interestingly enough, actually serve a practical purpose; they function as transmitters for an implant meant to control chemical concentrations in her brain, allowing her Titan's onboard computer to monitor chemical levels and make changes as it sees fit. With matching gloves and boots to complete her uniform, as well as a light purple neckscarf as an accessory, she really does look the part - both of a pilot, and of an aristocrat - when clad in this attire. Given her devotion to her public image, that probably explains why she's seldom seen without it, given that her family's affluence means she needs must have no shortage of more casual, civilian clothing. Then again, maybe it's just because she spends all her time at the Academy, and thus feels the need to always remain in uniform? She isn't often seen anywhere else...

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Demeanor: Her demeanor, too, is somewhat of a mix of conflicting attitudes. Possessed of a great deal of self control, her demeanor reflects this trait accordingly. Her posture is upright, with her shoulders relaxed, arms commonly folded, and every movement measured precisely to express grace and dignity. Her pace is even enough that you could use her footsteps to keep time, while her manners are quite impeccable. When she gives an order, she does so with the obvious expectation that her words will be heeded. And, indeed, without ever having to raise her voice, or even to speak without her usual courtesy and politeness, she manages to convey a sense of authority. She always seems very serious, with her lips pursed and her brow furrowed in the slightest of frowns. Her eyes have a certain piercing quality to them, seeming to scrutinize anything and everything that meets their gaze down to the most fundamental level in an instant. In short, there's a certain aspect of regality to her bearing, that seems to bespeak sophistication, and, perhaps even superiority.

However, there's something about her that conflicts with this unflappable image, giving off an equally potent sense of timidity. It's just that this side of her is seldom noticed, as it is very well hidden by her somewhat overwhelming public persona. For example, when confronted directly on an issue - especially by a superior - she tends not to force her own opinions, or even to argue, in stark contrast to how she acts when she holds authority in a given situation. In this manner, it's as though the chain of command has been deeply ingrained into her psyche. Thus, although she acts the part of the aristocrat in the presence of her peers, whom she can technically pull rank on, the moment someone superior to herself gets involved, she immediately yields all authority to them. When something is asked of her, she complies without making an issue of it. When she is given orders, she obeys, usually without so much as a question. More than just in her public duties, though, she tends to avoid confrontations even in her social life. When looked at directly, one may sometimes find her eyes wandering ever-so-slightly, as though to escape direct eye contact. Her head, contrary to her otherwise upright bearing, has a tendency to droop ever so slightly, as though her face is half-hiding itself behind the tresses of silvery-white that frame it on either side. In the face of sudden, unexpected movements, she tenses ever so slightly, and is rather easily startled. It is this girlish, shy manner that is perhaps one of her most endearing traits, as it makes her seem much less like the heiress of the proud Argall clan and more like an ordinary – not to mention rather socially awkward - young woman, thus giving her a sense of approachability to those who get to see beyond her outward mask that puts at ease the intimidation many might feel when conversing with someone of her standing. Yet, contrary to both of these images - young officer and shy girl - she also has a certain understated enthusiasm shown only to those who get to know her even more closely. Easily excited by novelties, one might find her staring in awe at the sight of fireworks, or grinning ear to ear as she extolls the virtues of some new treat she's never had the pleasure of eating before, or running from stall to stall in a mundane marketplace, seemingly amazed by the trifling trinkets she sees there despite her luxurious upbringing. And, when she thinks nobody else is watching, you might even catch her spreading her arms like wings underneath an open sky, as though she might lift off on a passing breeze and take flight at any moment. Sadly, isolated as she is, there are few, if any, who ever witness this childish side of her otherwise regal-yet-compliant bearing.

{O D D I T I E S}

Voice: She has the slightest tinge of what we might call an upper class British accent today, albeit with some difference. Largely, this shows in her diction, as she tends to very clearly enunciate every syllable, emphasizing the varying sounds of her vowels especially. Given the Argall family's history, however, it's likely that this is an affectation. Due to their prosperity following the exodus away from Earth, they likely took on this accent in imitation of stereotypical conceptions of aristocracy. At any rate, the fact that Arianrhod's accent becomes much less noticeable in the rare event that she relaxes and acts a touch more casual seems to lend credence to this theory. However, it never entirely goes away, even when she isn't consciously speaking in a formal manner. This is probably because of how long she has spent as a member of the Argall clan, as, by affecting that particular accent and being surrounded by others doing the same for so long, it has become essentially second nature to her.

Scars, Blemishes, etc.: Arianrhod's fingers and hands are actually rather calloused, a fact she hides by wearing gloves most of the time. This is due to her combat training - especially in fencing - as, in regularly wielding weapons, her hands became rather accustomed to them. She also bears a somewhat prominent scar upon her left hip - a thin white gash left when an opponent's foil struck her a little too well. Finally, concealed beneath her hair, there are two thin white lines at the base of her skull - incisions left in the process of implanting first a neural bridge via which she connects to and controls her Titan, and then another implant to monitor and control various chemical levels in her brain.

Quirks: Arianrhod tends to move and act in a very deliberate, almost theatrical manner, emphasizing her points with measured gesticulations that seem just a touch larger than life. While it serves to give her an image of elegance and grace in most matters, it simultaneously makes her seem a bit out of place, as though an actress strolled off of her stage and took up life in high society. While she doesn't ever seem disingenuous, persay, it makes dealing with her seem a bit... impersonal, at times.

Tics: Despite her outward composure, Arianrhod is actually a very socially awkward individual. If one knows where to look, her anxiety is easy to spot through several prominent tells which, at a glance, might look like just another of her hand gestures. Three stand out in particular. When she's trying her hardest to present an image of sophistication, nobility, and courtesy - her go-to "poker face" for when she doesn't know how she should be acting in a given scenario - she usually folds her hands in front of her waist, and stands rigidly upright with her head ever so slightly bowed, carrying herself with both dignity and respect. But, as her composure begins to crack, she tends to try to distract herself from awkward situations by pressing the fingers of each hand together one by one, from thumbs to pinkies and then back down again. Her gaze drops away from who she's talking to, focusing on her hands while she talks, which only ever happens when she's well and truly embarrassed by or anxious about something. Finally, when she's afraid, her hands tend to become a bit unsteady, prompting her to place her right hand across her chest, clinging to the edge of her collar, and her left hand into the crook of her right arm, holding her grip tightly in order to hide the trembling in her fingers until her fear passes. While she makes an admirable effort to conceal these particular tics in order to uphold her image, she's fairly easy to read once one gets to know her, despite all of her acting.

{"Let it go. What do I gain by being alive? I have... no home, no place to turn from troubles."}
- Euripedes, Medea

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{P E R S O N A L I T Y}
✦ Serious ✧ Guilty ✦ Determined ✧ Aloof ✦ Diligent ✧ Cowardly ✦

Arianrhod is a difficult person to describe, as her personality is so filled with contradictions that not even she herself can make sense of what's going on inside her own head - an odd statement to make, considering that most people who look at her see an individual that they most often view as shallow and petty.

And, indeed, there is some small truth to this statement. On the surface, Arianrhod appears to be no more than the sum of her breeding, her rank, and her standing. She is the heiress of a family most of whose members have been pilots, government officials, or, more often than not, both - with the prestige of the one position giving them the means to attain the other. And, for her part, she seems to be doing her best to follow in the footsteps of those who have walked before her. She behaves like the picture of military discipline and high breeding, obeying the orders she is given and giving orders in turn, in accordance with her duty. She speaks when spoken to, and does so only with the utmost attention to courtesy. Even in the face of outright hostility, she treats those around her with politeness and formality, never once acting improperly if she can help it. Furthermore, she dedicates herself wholeheartedly to the studies of tactics, history, philosophy, and military engineering, refusing to be satisfied with anything less that perfection in her mastery of all matters that may become relevant to her duties as a Titan Pilot. But of course, the first and foremost focus of her training is, naturally, her abilities when it comes to controlling a Titan. Even before arriving at Atlas Academy, she performed hundreds of simulated piloting missions. And, once she acquired a Titan for herself and joined the academy, she sought to do nothing more than surpass those around her, challenging other notable pilots - especially the headmaster's own son, the head of the rather prodigious Orion Squad - to mock battles in simulations until she could reliably defeat them - although in the case of Axel, their respective wins and losses are just slightly skewed away from 50-50, in Axel's favor, a fact about which Arianrhod is noticeably bitter.

Because of her competitiveness and almost obsessive attitude when it comes to training, many of her peers view her as nothing more than an egotist, who revels in lording her superiority both in skills and standing over those around her. They assume the only reason she bothered attending the academy was to make her own record look better prior to entering official service, and see her constant bearing of politeness and composure as nothing more than a farce meant to frustrate those she defeats by making them look like the petty ones for disliking her. In short, she's become quite notorious amongst the students. However, what many people don't know is that she isn't exactly considered a model student even by the instructors, as her constant hunger for combat has caused a great deal of tension with other students, in turn making the instructors' jobs more difficult. There have already been a few discreet inquiries into her mental state, as, unnerved by her constant sparring and combat simulation testing, a few of her instructors began to worry she was mentally disturbed, or perhaps even psychotic. These investigations yielded no results, but that did little to quiet the rumors that she was secretly a sadistic sociopath obsessed with battle. This gossip aside, though, she has a tendency to overwork both herself and her equipment, the latter of which imposes additional burdens on her maintenance crew. Consequently even if her scores, taken simply, would lead one to think she was barely short of perfect, in reality, she isn't exactly well liked or respected by... pretty much anybody, really, even if, for the most part, her instructors tolerate her due to her high achievement level, and her peers ignore her so long as she doesn't interfere with them.

In truth, there is some element of fact to the accusations that she's nothing but a glory seeker, looking to bask in the praise of others. When it comes down to it, all she wants is to earn the Argall clan's approval, and validate their decision to take her as one of their own. To that end, she seeks to become nothing less - and nothing more - than the ideal model of military prowess and good breeding, the two things which they view as the main factors distinguishing them from those around them. As such, she seeks to master everything that she feels might give her an edge when it comes to living up to and exceeding their standards. But, in truth, this isn't because she has any particular attachment to the idea of piloting a Titan and fighting The Swarm to protect Humanity. To be honest, although she performs well in simulations, the stress of real combat is nearly completely overwhelming to her. The very notion of facing down a merciless adversary with seemingly infinite numbers is terrifying to her, as, regardless of her attempts to act, and even to think like a soldier, she isn't one. Although living, in and of itself, seems almost pointless to her, at the same time, she dreads experiencing pain, and fears the pain of death more than almost anything. As such, this is the last path she wanted to take. And yet, it's the only option she feels she has. She has already lost one family. The only thing she fears more than death is that, should she fail, the same thing will happen again.

Thus, if one gets past her rigid exterior, the reason she seeks glory isn't because she thinks she's better than those around her, and wants to show it. Rather, she fears that amongst her peers, she herself is the least worthy of honor, and wishes to prove these nagging doubts false, so as to silence them for good. She has nothing but the utmost respect for those around her, and tries to convey as much. But, due to her perfectionism in her studies, and the difference in the standards to which she holds herself and to which she holds those around her, this admiration - and, by extension, her outward facade of competence and composure - comes off as sarcastic, hollow, and empty.

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Arianrhod is neither a proud nor a cruel person. All of her affectations of adulthood and other desperate efforts to earn the respect of others are, rather than being born from envy of those around her, driven solely by a desire to be respected, to be approved of. Because she was so alone, she fell in line with the practices and mannerisms of the Argall clan. And, because they provided her with the only home she had, she constantly tried to meet and exceed their standards, so they wouldn't regret taking her in. But, while wanting to be loved is, in and of itself, a fairly innocuous wish, Arianrhod's hunger for approval can't at all be called healthy. No matter how much praise is heaped upon her, she feels she can still do more for others, that she can do better to repay those she cares about for showing someone like her even the smallest sliver of kindness. Downplaying her own achievements, she continues striving blindly for greater heights, facing proportionately greater challenges each step of the way. She thus feels obligated to continue persevering, trying to overcome greater and greater difficulties by herself, so that she isn't weighing those around her down. With nothing thus to stop her, she pursues even self-destructive courses of action if they offer the promise of making people happy with her. There is no greater evidence of this than the fact that she is currently trying to become a Titan pilot, even though she's terrified she might die in the endeavor - all to earn the love of her adoptive family.

She always puts others before herself - at least when acting consciously. Although her tendency to push her Titan to the limits causes a lot of extra hassle for her squad's chief engineer, she always does her best to assist in the repairs, wanting to repay her mechanic for so faithfully tending to her equipment. And, during operations, she focuses first on keeping her squad safe, with the mission itself coming in second, and her own well-being coming in third. If someone shows some kindness to her, even as small as, say, giving her directions, she usually tries to thank them with some disproportionate reward, as though she feels indebted to others for even the slightest courtesy. Even if she uses the words quite frequently out of habit, she doesn't seem to know how to say "thank you" and be satisfied with it. As a result, she views almost any favor towards her as a debt to be repaid, and thus can cause a great deal of awkwardness in trying to pay her benefactors back.

She doesn't deal well with criticism. Even the most innocuous comment can spur her to frantically try to correct any and all perceived flaws on her part, giving added ammunition to the little nagging voice inside her telling her she could have done X, Y, or Z better than she did. Because of this, she has very little in the way of self-esteem beyond whatever praise she's received, as the rather scathing remarks of her peers and certain individuals in her adoptive family have done quite a number on her confidence. In her own self-assessment, her fear of death makes her cowardly, her dependence on others makes her weak, and, as her own rise to fame and honor causes others to be cast aside in favor of her, her desire to be loved, admired, and respected makes her selfish. Yet, if one were to realize all these things about her, everyone would laugh at her. So, she keeps them bottled up, not wanting to show a sign of weakness by revealing these secrets to anyone.

Because of all these conflicting feelings of guilt, doubt, and desire, she lacks faith in herself. When asked to do something, she usually can't say no, feeling like helping others is the least she can do to make up for being so "selfish," "cowardly," and "weak." When given a command, she usually falls in line and obeys, even if she disagrees with what she's being told, so long as obedience will bring the rewards she craves. And, above all else, she never allows herself to get close to anyone, feeling that they'd just be disappointed in her, or that she'd just hurt them in her selfish scramble for honor. For this reason, as well as in order to uphold the "higher" standard of her rank in society, she continues to act solely within the confines of her rigid public persona, treating every situation with the same seriousness and formality. As such, it's no wonder that she doesn't really have any friends. Not even her squadmates know her true nature very well - although her newness to the position of squad commander doesn't help in that regard. In fact, they might even be of the same opinion of the other students - that she's an uptight, arrogant bitch with something to prove. However, were one to earn her trust, and to convince her to open up to them - although how one might do that is hard to say - they'd find that the infamous "Ensign Ice" of Talos Squad isn't nearly so bad as her reputation might lead one to think.

{"Be as swift as the wind, as silent as a forest, as fierce as fire, and as unshakable as a mountain."}
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War

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{T I T A N}

The ExMKCT-0299 Bradamante: This prototype war machine was named after a mythical lady knight, and is the final product of the second generation of the Experimental Mobile Knight-Class Titan initiative. It was designed based on specifications provided by Arianrhod and several experts in the employment of House Argall, and was manufactured by Azura Inc., a family owned company with which House Argall has long since held commerce. Unlike most Titans, it is incapable of fully transforming its own frame, as, although it was initially planned to have a "bird mode" in which its legs would fold back and the arms fold forward to serve as twin cannons, with all thrusters facing rearward to give it greatly increased speed and atmospheric flight capabilities, this design ultimately could not be actualized, as the strain placed upon the many required joints of this frame by the engines, when used at full capacity, would have been too much for the machine to bear. Consequently, it was built solely to serve as a humanoid war machine, and as a result, has much more comprehensive armor plating than most contemporary Titans, as well as a greater level of flexibility and functionality in its joints, as, while they cannot change the machine's overall configuration, they thus don't need any special mechanisms or design features that might compromise their functionality as joints for a humanoid body.

It is somewhat shorter than most other current-generation Titans, as it was designed to be both durable and mobile, and thus had to cut down on size or else risk losing the latter quality. It carries very little equipment, causing most of its weight to be either armor plating or large auxiliary thrusters covering the back, shoulders, hips, and legs, allowing it to quickly build up and maintain a great deal of speed, even under the effects of gravity. Its head, although rather prominent, does not actually house the cockpit of the unit, instead being devoted to a single large visual scanner, appearing as a single large green "eye," and a powerful sensor and communications suite, housed in its crest antenna. This gives it long range scanning capabilities, allowing the pilot to monitor the course of a battle, and quickly and efficiently transmit orders to one's squad. Thus, it fills the role of a command unit rather well, possessing the mobility to navigate the battlefield, the durability to protect its pilot - housed in the center of the unit's torso, where its armor is thickest - and the means to effectively coordinate squad movements in the thick of combat.

To make up for its inability to transform and the consequent lack of versatility that entails, the Bradamante is equipped with several multi-purpose armaments. The first of these, stored in a charging rack built into the armor of its right arm, is a large Durandal-class plasma projector that, as shown in the animations, can be used either as a rapid fire beam cannon, or can concentrate the plasma it emits into a focused "blade," to be used as a highly potent cutting weapon that is capable of melting through most forms of armor with ease. Similar, weaker Stilleto-class projectors are stored in both of the unit's feet, and in the unit's left arm, allowing the machine to briefly manifest a blade during a punch or kick to violently eviscerate an enemy in close quarters. These, however, are too weak for sustained usage as a blade, and cannot be used to fire ranged plasma bursts, as the resultant projectiles would dissipate before they could reach a target, and would be nigh-on impossible to aim besides. To make up for its overall lack of ranged firepower, thus, it also possesses a large Ascalon-class cannon hooked directly to its reactor, positioned near the unit's waist. This cannon takes a short time to charge between shots, but has tremendous firepower condensed into either a focused, long-range beam or a short-range scattering shower smaller globs of plasma. In addition to this, it also carries eight Itano-class cluster missiles, four stored in each segment of its skirt armor. Once fired, these missiles acquire targeting data from the Bradamante's main sensor suite, each splitting and releasing a total of twenty micro homing missiles.

The unit's final armaments are its most unique, consisting of a series of four Aegis-class shielding bits. These armaments normally hook together with one another, forming a small rectangular buckler that locks into a storage rack on the unit's left arm, and is usable as a shield. However, each of them contains a miniaturized plasma projector that draws power from the unit's own generator, connecting to the same power source as the Stiletto located in the same arm. As such, they are also capable of venting this plasma to form a powerful barrier of energized particles. Although this barrier is too energy intensive to use for long periods of time, if activated in short bursts, it can be used to negate incoming projectile attacks, or to release a directional explosion from the shield just as it is used to block a physical attack, working similar in principle to reactive armor. The wrist-mounted projector can also be activated from within the shield, as shown in the animations, allowing the unit to use all four of its blades at once, if need be. However, the Aegis bits also have an additional function. By separating, both from the Bradamante and from one another, they can form mobile floating energy shields controlled by the Talos AI, allowing the Bradamante to sacrifice its own shielding to protect allies remotely. Or, alternatively, they can connect to the unit's main thrusters, using their own energy emissions to vastly increase the unit's speed, forming Wings of Light as shown in the bottom animation and sacrificing defensive abilities to briefly attain an incredible burst of speed, filling the role that the unit's Bird Mode was originally intended to. In this state, the Stiletto saber can be detached from the unit's left arm and affixed to a joint in the hilt of the Durandal, forming a beam scissor blade that can be used in conjunction with the greatly increased leverage provided by the Wings of Light to split even the toughest of targets clean in two.

{T I T A N A B I L I T I E S}
✦Variable Weapons System - Almost all of the Bradamante's five weapons - Durandal, limb Stilettos, Aegis Bits, Ascalon Cannon, and Itano Missiles - can be utilized in multiple different ways, to compensate for its lack of transformation ability. The Durandal can be fired as a rifle or wielded as a sword. The Ascalon can be fired as a long range beam attack, or a close range plasma "shotgun." The arm-mounted Stiletto can be wielded as a wristblade or connected to the Durandal to form a scissor-sword. And the Aegis bits can be used as a reactive shield, independent miniature shield generators, or extra vernier thrusters.
✧Recharge System - Since all but the Itano-class cluster missiles are energy weapons, they can be used so long as the reactor of the unit can provide power to them all. Consequently, the Bradamante only runs out of ammo if it runs out of power, at which point it has bigger problems anyway.

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▐ ❖{W E A P O N S}
✦Iron Rosethorn Model High Frequency Energized Rapier - Arianrhod's only sidearm, this weapon is designed based on old Renaissance-era Pistol-Rapiers. It is equipped with six energy cells that cause the mono-molecular edge and tip of the blade to oscillate at tremendous speeds, enough to disrupt the molecular bonds between objects it collides with. This gives it tremendous cutting power. In addition, however, the energy cells can be discharged through small barrels located in the revolver-style chamber in the weapon's hilt, reducing its cutting effectiveness temporarily until the energy cells are replaced in exchange for shooting enemies with up to six concentrated beams comparable in strength to a standard issue military sidearm. It's kind of hard to reload in the thick of combat, though, and Arianrhod, while experienced in fencing, is far from expert in its usage. She thus carries it largely for show rather than for any practical reason.
{S T R E N G T H S}
✦AI Control - The Bradamante is configured to automatically relegate complex tasks such as guiding the shield bits and targeting for the Itano Missiles to the Talos Squad AI. Consequently, this frees up the pilot to focus on controlling the unit, monitoring the battlefield, and mounting attacks with its other weapons.
✧State of the Art Equipment - The Bradamante is equipped with a state-of-the-art command, communications, and control suite. As such, it responds very quickly to the user's control inputs, and allows the pilot to keep a constant eye on the battlefield, while issuing orders to squadmates accordingly.
✦Comprehensive Protection - Although little thicker than the armor of a normal Titan, the Bradamante's lack of a transformation gimmick means its armor can afford to cover more, better protecting its joints, critical systems, and especially its cockpit and the reactor core located just below it. Consequently, unless the reactor itself were breached, it's unlikely that any one direct hit would be enough to disable the unit, making it remarkably resilient in the face of damage that would cripple or completely total another Titan.
✧Arianrhod's Focus - Arianrhod has extensive piloting experience, even if all of it has been in simulation. As these training programs have all been done utilizing the Bradamante's combat data, she is thus very familiar with her unit's limits, and can push it to them without losing control.
✦Tactical Aide - Supplementing Arianrhod's own knowledge of tactics is the Talos AI, which serves to monitor field conditions and calculate enemy movement patterns using the Bradamante's high-end sensor suites. Thus, it is capable of advising Arianrhod on all relevant conditions before she makes a decision, assisting her in maneuvering her squad with maximum efficiency. Furthermore, it is also capable of monitoring her brain chemistry through her implants and making changes accordingly. For example, should she begin producing too much adrenaline and losing focus in the face of overwhelming fear, or should she be wounded in the course of battle, it is capable of administering a dosage of a variety of different drugs meant to fulfill purposes ranging from calming the user's mind while not obstructing mental functions - similar to morphine - or reduce sensations of pain. In emergency situations, it is also capable of locking her out of the system, and assuming control of the unit on its own, should this be deemed necessary. This allows Arianrhod to continue fulfilling her role as commander and combatant, even in adverse conditions where she herself either cannot... or does not wish to.
{W E A K N E S S E S}
✦Power Output - Due to its many engines and the constant drain of its various weapons whenever they're in use, the Bradamante, if used recklessly, will burn through almost all of its reactor's energy supplies within a matter of minutes. Although designed to be able to fill any role in squad combat, it's meant to be used by cycling through many different roles in sequence, first attacking up close, then moving to defend comrades, and then falling back to provide ranged support and issue new orders based on changes in the battlefield. However, Arianrhod has yet to master using it in this fashion, and tends to try to fill every role all at once, using both its many weapons and its shields at the same time, thus causing it to rapidly run low on power. While this is fine in a simulator where one can just try again, on the battlefield, running out of power would be a death sentence.
✧Transient Flight - The Wings of Light, although tremendously useful in that they give the unit unprecedented speed and power, as well as a limited capacity for flight, drain power faster than any other system, and cause the engines to rapidly overheat, too. Consequently, they can't be used for more than a minute at most without burning out the unit completely, making them more of a last resort than anything.
✦Size Does Matter - The Bradamante, due to its small size relative to other Titans, has somewhat less leverage and raw physical power when compared to them. As such, it relies a bit excessively on its thrusters as leverage to match their performance in CQC, meaning if they were ever damaged, it would be a sitting duck.
✧Overconfidence - Arianrhod has learned almost everything she knows from fighting in simulations. In so doing, she mastered knowing her unit's limits, and pushing it to them for optimal results. However, unlike computer programs, real machines don't always take well to being run so ragged. As such, she oftentimes ends up pulling joints out of place or breaking them with high-speed maneuvers, forcing her repair crew to work overtime to keep the machine running. Furthermore, she's unaccustomed to the G forces involved with piloting, and thus can end up losing control, growing dizzy, or even passing out from the pressure involved in pulling off quick dodges and maneuvers she effortlessly relied on in simulations.
✦Chemical Dependence - Due to her fear of actual combat, her implants were installed, and the Talos AI given special protocols to manage her brain chemical levels. This, her family's agents hoped, would allow her to be drugged into a state of perfect calm, and increase her functionality in battle. However, although this often is the case, even though they are not addictive by nature, the aftereffects of these drugs can be somewhat severe, leaving her exhausted, dizzy, depressed, and generally emotionally out-of-sorts, as well as causing somewhat debilitating headaches. As such, piloting takes an immense toll on her, which can cause a great deal of problems on long-term missions. This is only exacerbated by the fact that she hates relying on others, and thus seldom seeks assistance during these periods of "illness."

{"Upon the conduct of each depends the fate of all."}
- Alexander the Great

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{H O B B I E S}

"Huh? Things I enjoy doing...? I suppose I'm too busy with my training to have much time to spare for things like that. But... um... well... let me see here..."

✦Singing - "My mother used to sing old spacers' songs to me quite often. She had learned them from my father, and taught them to me in turn. We would sing them every night, up until I... um... 'went away.' It... doesn't really mean anything, but, I guess that's... something I enjoy doing. Is that strange...?"
✧Cooking - "I tried to learn from my mother when I was little, but I never was very good at it. Maybe that's why Sir Argall never let me anywhere near the kitchen...?"
✦Reading - "Learning new things is always nice. Huh? Like what? Well, I guess lately I've been reading up on military tactics. Oh... so studying doesn't count...? I see..."

{H A B I T S}

"Things I do often... Erm, I study quite frequently...? ...Other than that? I... um... let me think."

✧Long Morning Walks - "It helps me wake up, so I'm in the right mindset for my training afterward."
✦Long Baths - "It's kind of wasteful, and I don't really get a chance here at the academy, since all we have are showers, but I guess I usually end up taking very long baths when I can. Huh? Why do I do it? Well... it's kind of peaceful and relaxing, I suppose."
✧Naps - "It's somewhat shameful to admit, but I've never really kept very regular sleeping hours. A lot of the time, I get really tired in the afternoons, and so I often try to find a few hours to just rest. ...Is it because of my training schedule? Well... um... I suppose that's... one way to look at it."

{L I K E S}

"Things I like...? Well, I'm afraid they may be a bit silly, but here they are..."

✦Sweets - "Sir Argall always had Mr. Sutherland - oh, um, he was our cook - make very traditional, healthy foods, so there's a lot of different treats out there that I've never even seen before, let alone tasted. Trying new things is always so exciting! ...Huh? You're giving me a rather odd expression. Did I say something strange? ...Eh? What do you mean I'm being childish?"
✧Philosophy - "It's a topic I studied heavily during my schooling prior to coming to Atlas Academy. Personally, I think of myself primarily as something of an Epicurean. ...Eh? 'What does that mean?' Well, I guess you could say it's the pursuit of a good life through self control, discipline, and virtue. I still have a long way to go, though."
✦Traveling - "I've always been fond of the idea of wandering the world and seeing all the interesting things it has to offer. There are so many incredible places, people, and things out there, and I don't even know what or who they are. It just seems like a shame to let all that go undiscovered, only hearing about it secondhand, when you could see it with your own eyes."
✧Flying - "As a child, I wanted to be a starship pilot so I could go anywhere I wanted and have incredible adventures in the stars, like the kind you hear about in storybooks. And, well, even if I gave up on that idea a long time ago, I still enjoy flying... It sort of reminds me of home."
✦Romance - "E-eh? Well, um, I guess this is because... um... I really enjoy seeing other people find their happily ever after. Eh? Have I ever been in love myself? Well... um... no... I guess not... ...Ah, this is so embarrassing... Please don't tell anyone this...!"

{D I S L I K E S}

"What I dislike...? Very well, then..."

✦Spicy Food - "Er, well, it's not that I 'dislike' it persay. Actually, I love it. But no matter how much I like the taste, it makes my throat burn, so it's really hard to eat... You're giving me an odd look again."
✧Fights - "I really dislike arguing. When people get mad, it's just... hard to deal with."
✦Being Touched - "Why? Well... it just makes me uncomfortable. That's all there is to it."
✧Family - "I don't mean Sir Argall or Nero, of course. About the way I was treated by House Argall... I have no complaints. It's just that for what mother and father did to me... I can never forgive them."
✦Nero Argall - "I said I didn't have any complaints, and I meant it. Really... it was fine there. And Nero... even if he's rude or insulting sometimes... he has every right to be, for what I did to him. I don't hate him, and I never meant to hurt him, but at the same time, if I never saw him again, I'd be very relieved. He's impossible to deal with, and I don't want to hurt him any more than I have..."

{G O A L S}

"What I want to do? Alright, then. This may be a little obvious, but..."

✦Become a Soldier - "The only reason Sir Argall took in someone like me was to ensure he had a successor. Above all else, I want to ensure he does not regret that decision."
✧Become a Soldier - "Really, that's all I want. Until I've succeeded at this, I don't have time to devote myself to other pursuits."
✦Become a Soldier - "What do you mean, 'there has to be something else?' Is there something wrong with wanting to make those I admire proud of me?"

{F E A R S}

"What I'm afraid of... Erm, actually, talking about this is rather embarrassing... Must I really answer?"

✧Loud Noises or Sudden Movements - "They're just kind of startling. I guess I've spent too much time running training sims. Now every time something unexpected happens, I feel like I'm under attack..."
✦The Swarm - "Please don't think less of me, but, when it gets down to it, I just don't know much about them. I've seen a few basic Kaiju variants in combat sims and intelligence files, but what they're really like, and what they can do... I don't know any of that. And yet, some day, I'm going to have to fight them, or else die trying..."
✧Being a Failure - "That isn't an option. If I can't meet Sir Argall's standards, then he'll have no use for me. I don't... I don't want to lose another family, even if I already have no home to return to..."

{"Cowards die many times before their actual deaths."}
- Julius Caesar

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{H I S T O R Y}

The second child of spacer Arthur Lilant and his colonist wife Cassandra, Arianrhod - born Aderyn Lilant - had a somewhat harsh early life. While Arthur had formerly been a respected captain in the naval branch of the military, he ended up losing his command and his good name when, on a routine patrol, he encountered several creatures of The Swarm and recklessly engaged them without waiting for reinforcements, resulting in several enemies breaking through and boarding the ship, causing massive casualties amongst his crew before they were finally subdued. On top of all those who were killed, several more were grievously wounded, including one of the ship's passengers, a young boy named Axel Herman, who would eventually become Arianrhod's chief rival at Atlas.

Disgraced by this failure, Arthur ended up having to resign his position in the military. Losing its main source of income, the once-prosperous family fell on hard times. Ultimately, Arthur and Cassandra decided that, for the sake of leaving their children as much as possible, they would need to choose one to inherit the family's own waning fortunes, and surrender another into the care of a more prosperous family, so that both Aderyn and her elder brother Aiden would have something to call their own. Aiden, being the elder, was chosen as the heir, while it was decided that Aderyn, then nine years old, would be sent away, ostensibly for her own good. As it happened, one of Arthur's former comrades in arms was a man named Sir Andreas Argall, a prominent Titan pilot, but one whose sickly wife Angela had only born him one child prior to her own death - a very frail boy named Nero, who he feared might pass away at any time during his first seven years. Doing some sweet talking, Arthur managed to convince Andreas to adopt Aderyn as his own daughter, making her his family's sole heiress.

During the exodus from Earth, Titan pilots had been essentially the sole thing standing between the refugees and certain death. As such, they swiftly obtained positions of command and power in the administrations of the various ships they served on board. This power in turn transferred over to the provincial governments that were established once Alke was colonized, resulting in an almost aristocratic upper class of skilled pilots who became the wealthy, powerful elites of the new society. Sir Andreas was one such man, who had embraced his family's newfound fortunes with zeal. A staunch traditionalist, he acted according to noblesse oblige, viewing it as his sacred duty to serve as a pilot and protect the people, due to his own innate superiority for the task. And, upon adopting Aderyn, he began trying to hammer the same notion into her, right from day one. Rechristening her as his own daughter, he set about instructing Arianrhod in the attitudes and skills he felt were necessary to be not only a skilled pilot, but also a true noble. A stern teacher, Andreas did not tolerate anything short of perfection, driving the young girl to desperate lengths to try to please him. Although she no longer wanted for food, she ended up starved of the affection of her parents, which had been more valuable to her than any luxury.

Still, when she did well, he made sure she knew it, giving to her lavish rewards and glowing praise. He was, undoubtedly, proud of his new daughter's abilities, as she demonstrated a remarkable proficiency for piloting, and had a good memory for the various philosophies, aspects of etiquette, and bits of military history he sought to teach her. But, due both to his role as her instructor first and parent second, and to his duties as a pilot requiring him to be absent for long periods of time, he never felt like a father to her. Indeed, the very first order he gave her was to refer to him as "Sir Argall" at all times, a practice which she continues up to the present day.

Left largely to her own devices outside of his instruction, she was thus forced to govern herself while her adoptive guardian was away. She learned to cook, kept her room and personal belongings almost obsessively clean, and generally mastered whatever skills she needed to live on her own. By the age of 14, she already thought herself as an adult capable of taking care of herself, and Andreas, for his part, seemed to agree with her, as the only child he doted upon parentally was his own son Nero, who he kept isolated and did his best to pamper after the boy unexpectedly survived his youth. However, although Arianrhod may have envied Nero for receiving Sir Argall's love and affection, Nero, for his part, envied her for the privileges and gifts he bestowed upon her to further her training as his heiress. Arianrhod, however, didn't realize this until it was far too late, and kept trying to befriend the boy, unaware of how much hate these overtures of friendship inspired in the youth. Nero, after all, felt that she had stolen his own father away from him. Her reaching out to him and treating him like a friend seemed like nothing more than mockery in the face of that perceived injury.

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The first sign of tension between them came when Nero unexpectedly challenged Arianrhod to a simulated Titan battle. She accepted, bemused, and went into it expecting to face a novice. As it turned out, however, Nero was anything but, having trained himself extensively when his father was away. By now no stranger to piloting, he almost effortlessly defeated Arianrhod. When Andreas heard about it, he scolded her severely for not taking her learning seriously, and agreed to teach Nero the same things he taught her, with the promise that the better of the two would become the family's heir. Nero, naturally, was overjoyed with the prospect of casting aside the adopted intruder who he viewed as having stolen his rightful place in his father's favor. But, although Arianrhod couldn't have cared less about inheriting the family fortunes, what she did cherish was the praise of her adoptive guardian. If he cast her aside to focus solely on Nero's upbringing, she'd once again have nobody who cared about her. Consequently, she, too, threw herself into her studies with redoubled efforts.

Nero, despite his initial frailty, managed to overcome his weakness through a strict training and dieting regimen, supplemented by advanced medical nanotechnology used to augment his weak immune system. Although he didn't quite have Arianrhod's mind for book learning, his reflexes were astonishingly good, allowing him to quickly overtake her in the field of piloting and physical combat. The competition between them was vicious, Arianrhod using whatever tactics she could to beat Nero's scores in simulations, while he continued honing his control and sheer ability in order to win through sheer strength. They also faced off against one another in real battles as part of their combat training. During one such training match with practice foils, Nero "accidentally" stabbed Arianrhod in the side, an injury which, while fortunately not as severe as it had looked, caused her a great deal of pain, and compelled her to fear Nero's retaliation should she outdo him. He, seeing that his approach of force had been successful, began belittling and mocking her on a regular basis, sometimes even physically hitting her when he felt like she was getting too big of a lead and needed to be brought back down. Andreas, for his part, turned a blind eye to the war between his prospective heirs, as he was too busy with his own affairs to notice, and too blindly trusting of Nero's outward facade of gentleness and kindness to care.

When it came down to the final test, however, Nero's recklessness and pride ended up being his downfall, as Arianrhod managed to match him in piloting, and outdo him by miles in academic subjects. The only field in which he beat her soundly was physical combat, as she was by now too afraid of him to fight with a clear head, resulting in a rather savage match lasting only a minute where he disarmed her - breaking her wrist in the process - knocked her to the floor, and pummeled her for almost half a minute before the "spar" was finally called off, as Andreas had evidently been expecting his rather meek daughter to at least attempt resistance.

Still, despite this humiliating defeat, Andreas had seen enough to declare her the victor in their contest, and name her as his official heir. Instead of being happy about this, however, Arianrhod only felt guilty, remembering Nero's old insults. His favorite had been calling her a worthless child, saying that not even her own family had wanted her, so she'd gone and stolen someone else's. And now, seeing Andreas' biological son cast out of his legacy in favor of herself, she began to feel that there was some truth to these statements. Sir Andreas had intended to use a system of "peerage" established for Titan Pilots to take her under his wing directly as a personal apprentice, inducting her directly into the ranks of his subordinates and bypassing the need for her to meet military training standards before assuming active duty, as the training he had given her personally would be viewed as more than sufficient. However, Arianrhod objected, begging to be allowed to leave home and attend the distant Atlas Academy as a student, justifying this by saying that it would look better on her record, and claiming that she feared any squad she was assigned to wouldn't have faith in her orders unless she proved her abilities the same way as anyone else. Thus, although somewhat bemused, Andreas accepted her decision, and allowed her to leave home and advance on her own, apart from his influence. In truth, she couldn't have cared less about legitimizing her own authority or obtaining combat experience, or anything of the sort. She just wanted to absolve herself of the guilt she felt in defeating Nero, and to escape from his retribution, which she felt was sure to come.

Still, Andreas didn't want her to leave empty handed. As it had happened, an old family acquaintance - a man named Sirius Azura - had a nephew who had run into a spot of trouble after killing several looters in self-defense, and who needed protection from the law. Andreas, a long time patron of Sirius, proposed a measure where the youth - Robert Black - would be sent to the academy along with Arianrhod, serving as her own understudy in accordance with the peerage system. It would take him longer to be allowed to pilot - as those who went to the academy were expected to have at least some level of experience - but it would put him under the official protection of the Argall clan while they cleared his name. In exchange, however, Andreas wanted to commission one final gift for his heiress - a custom built Titan, according to her piloting data and specifications. Using this as leverage in addition to a rather generous payment from his own coffers, he thus sent Arianrhod away in possession of her own personalized unit - the Bradamante. Despite her wishes to be free of the family's influence, she found herself still shackled to the Argall clan, both by her duty to keep Robert out of trouble for the sake of her father, and by her father's own machinations. When she arrived at Atlas Academy, she found her father had already been hard at work pulling various strings for her. To her surprise, she found she'd been assigned the rank of Ensign - normally only given to top-class graduates - and given charge of some of the more promising students to form a completely new squad, designated "Talos." Her initial introduction was a bit rocky, but she ended up coordinating the squad into an efficient fighting unit regardless. Together, their scores began to surpass most of the other top squads almost immediately. Before they knew it, they'd reached the top of the rankings, beating out everyone else in their group.

...Well, almost everyone. As it turned out, there was one other squad with scores surpassing their own: Orion squad, captained by the son of the school headmaster. It was with this youth that Arianrhod began to butt heads almost immediately, challenging him to multiple mock battles in an attempt to match his skills, like how she had previously honed her skills by sparring Nero. To her chagrin, however, he turned out to be the more skilled of the two, and beat her seven times out of the eleven she challenged him, while she only won one battle, and managed to drag out the other three until they were declared a draw. In field exercises, she fared slightly better, with her squad earning overall higher scores than Orion due to their coordination and tactics.

Regardless, Arianrhod found herself performing far worse at Atlas than she had against Nero. She simply no longer had the same drive to succeed, weighed down as she was by her guilt at usurping Nero. Although perhaps none of those around her have yet noticed, she's beginning to question herself, wondering why she should even continue to fight, yet feeling she has no other option but to pursue the path she's started down. Once again, she's all alone, but this time, she's decided that she can't afford to rely on anybody - because in so doing, she might divert their attention from someone who needs it more than her.

With its final member, Robert, receiving his own Titan and clearance to pilot, Talos Squad is at last complete. However, with such an uncertain, unstable individual at the squad's head, only time will tell whether it will last... or fail.

{F A M I L Y T I E S}

Arthur Lilant: Biological Father, Age 54
Cassandra Lilant: Biological Mother, Age 52
Aiden Lilant: Biological Brother, Age 22
Sir Andreas Argall: Adoptive Father, Age 59
Angela Argall: Adoptive Mother, Deceased at Age 49.
Nero Argall: Adoptive Brother, Age 17.

{"Come what may, all bad fortune is to be conquered by endurance."}
- Virgil

{F C}
Fana Del Moral
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The Princess and the Pilot

{C O L O R}
#7CA6CF

{P L A Y E D}
{B Y}
Feyblue

Arianrhod "Aria" Argall

0 · 705 views · located in Alke

a character in “Titans Of Alke - Blood & Steel”, as played by Feyblue

Description

So begins...

Arianrhod "Aria" Argall's Story