Aberrant: Prometheans Unbound - Character Bios

[Blue Thunder]

There are a lot of Terats, especially by 2016, and as members of the Teragen it would make sense for your characters to be familiar with at least a third of them. I'll be posting information on various Terats here so you guys aren't clueless when I bring them up in the game or the fiction. Also, I'll be posting updated information on already established characters as they change factions, go through Chrysalis, become Tainted, etc. There will even be bios on non-Terats who are somehow relevant to the story. You can assume that if I post any info on a Terat here, your character knows the information, but you are free to be ignorant of any of this information if you feel it suits your character. These bios are by no means exhaustive, but they do explain enough about a character.

As with Swarm Queen (below), I had to take some liberty with a few of the already established characters and add information to them. For example, Swarm Queen's powers are never revealed in the Teragen book, so I gave her the powers I felt suited her.

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Name - Swarm Queen (Natalya Dornova)

Faction - Primacy / Pantheon

Archetype - Portent (Second Stage)

Background - Natalya was a drug runner for the Zukhov crime syndicate in Russia. She erupted during an assault by T2M-Europe on her and her companions. Making it to safety, and assumed dead, Natalya established herself as an elite for DeVries. Eventually becoming disillusioned with being used by baselines to fight their wars for them, she left for Russia again, this time using her old contacts to set herself up within the underworld.

Her abilities secured her a position within the underworld, and any who opposed her were quickly dealt with in private. Club Zmei was more than her headquarters, it also became her "hive" where brainwashed baselines served her every need as if she was truly a queen. She gave sanctuary to Shrapnel, a good friend during her elite days, and the two pondered the rest of their lives as novas. That's when Orzaiz approached the two and introduced them both to the Teragen.

Swarm Queen and Shrapnel have grown apart lately, thanks to The Confederate's influence over Alison. Natalya prefers to use baselines as resources in the struggle for nova dominance, but Alison has been preaching baseline genocide.

Natalya cannot deny her affections for Alison, but she knows their bond won't last at this rate...

Quantum Abilities - Swarm Queen is a powerful telepath, able to read the thoughts and memories of any baseline and almost any nova and alter them as she sees fit. She can also dominate a target through sheer willpower and manipulate the emotional responses of those around her. Many of Swarm Queen's servants at Club Zmei have been permanently brainwashed by her to obey her every word, and even those not brainwashed by her find her abilities of suggestion to on par with those of Orzaiz.

She also possesses the ability to break her body down into a quantum-charged swarm of bees, a tactic she used in her elite days to attack entire units of soldiers at once. Both her bee swarm ability and her powerful mental domination powers attribute to her nova title as the Swarm Queen.

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Name - Smith/The Smiths

Faction - Nova Vigilance

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Smith (he's only called "The Smiths" after duplicating himself) doesn't reveal the details of his eruption or baseline life. All anyone knows is that he's an American, but even that may be a lie on his part. He keeps up the "man in black" persona at all times, wearing a black suit and sunglasses with short-cut dark hair. Some speculate past service to some kind of intelligence agency or government; he knows more about infiltration and intelligence operations than a common nova.

Quantum Abilities - Smith can duplicate himself into multiple copies. This allows Smith to accomplish multiple tasks at once and carry out complex tactical operations that a group of induvidual novas would botch. Smith also exhibits superhuman strength, speed, and resilience to harm...which he also bestows onto his duplicates, making him a one man army.

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[Blue Thunder]

Name - Clarice Hudson

Faction - Independant Terat (loosely affiliated with Nova Vigilance)

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Clarice erupted while on break from college, hiking through a trail in the Appalachian Mountains. Stopping for a rest near particularly strong river rapids, Clarice mistepped while walking on a large boulder and fell in. The current quickly pulled her under, but what almost killed her was the boulder she fell off of, which fell in after her.

Clarice's life flashed before her eyes as she was pinned; all of her good memories, her bad memories, her strengths, and her weaknesses became apparant to her. And as she remembered all of her shortcomings and flaws, she erupted. Clarice rose out of the river with the boulder held above her head. She realized what she had become and reported to a Rashoud facility the same day. She became an instant candidate for Team Tomorrow given her combination of powers, her attractiveness, and her personality. She began working with Utopia iaround the world on various projects, all while in-training for T2M. But she became Tainted during this time, distancing her from baselines and knocking her out of the running for T2M. An encounter with Nova Vigilance in Addis Ababa convinced her to embrace her inner Terat, and she joined the movement.

Quantum Abilities - Clarice possesses incredible strength, increased invulnerability to physical harm, the ability to fly, and limited manipulation over water. Her eruption also made her far more attractive than she used to be, which is something she has yet to adjust to. Her eyes seem to be made entirely of bright-blue rippling water, which gives her gaze an eerie quality.

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Name - Honeytrap (Teresa Watts)

Faction - Pandamonion

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - Teresa was a struggling pornography actress in Los Angeles when she erupted, skyrocketing her to fame and making her one of the highest paid nova pornography stars in history. She joined Narcosis' Pandamonion Productions shortly afterward, and has made a reputation within the Teragen movement for her willingness to perform a multitude of deviant sexual acts with highly Tainted Terats, despite their inhuman physiologies and mindstates. Her incredible attractiveness and complete lack of inhibition has made her the second most popular pornstar in Pandamonion Productions, right after Narcosis, and her images and videos are constantly streaming across the OpNet, making her one of the most downloaded novas in existence. Her recent porno with Mephistofaleez has sparked rumors of the Muslim black supremacist being a Terat.

She keeps Clusterfuck around to perform tasks for her, knowing that he will obey, but she still hasn't slept with him. Rumors say its because the only novas that excite her sexually anymore are the twisted Terats of the Harvesters.

Quantum Abilities - While she possesses no mental powers at all, Honeytrap still has potent control over seduction; few people of any sexual orientation or of either gender can resist her when she sets her sights on them. She is also attractive to the degree that few novas ever reach. She's rumored to possess other abilities, but none are known.

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Name - Clusterfuck (Henry)

Faction - Independant Terat (loosely affiliated with Pandamonion)

Archetype - None (Undecided) (First Stage)

Background - Henry (his family name remains a secret) joined Pandamonion simply

out of a desire to be near Honeytrap. He became infatuated with her when he was still a baseline, and after erupting he made it his goal to be with her. He is known in the Pandamonion and Teragen proper as a hanger-on and lackey of Honeytrap's, but he doesn't mind the title much because Honeytrap gives him just enough attention and pleasure to keep him satisfied and coming back. The fact that Henry is being used is not lost on him; he just doesn't care. Pleasing Honeytrap is all that matters to him.

He took the name Clusterfuck to describe how everything around him gets "fucked" eventually, due to the uncontrollable nature of his powers. Some Terats point out that everything around Henry gets fucked...except him.

Quantum Abilities - Clusterfuck can manipulate entropic forces to cause things to break down or fall apart, but this ability is limited to inorganic matter; he cannot directly affect living things (which is a relief to every Terat near him). His control over the ability is also extremely poor, resulting in objects that he is near sometimes breaking or rusting over. Despite the lack of control his scope of power is said to be great; he once crumbled the foundations of a building, sending the entire thing down, and he claims he can turn objects to dust with enough concentration.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Jester (Julianne Beaumont)

Faction - Independant (loosely affiliated with the Casablancas)

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - A former elite, Julianne first began to understand the philosophy of the Teragen after a Nova Vigilance raid on a DeVries building. Count Orzaiz convinced her to join the Casablancas, and she's since become the head of security at the Blackburn. She's loyal to Orzaiz, but stays independant from any factions; she's still trying to find her place in the world as a nova and a Terat, and doesn't want to become a pawn in anyone else's schemes. She does help the Casablancas from time to time.

Though she is no longer an elite, Julianne still prefers to wear her jester mask, even when not wearing her jester eufiber suit. She only takes it off in privacy.

Quantum Abilities - Jester can fly and project damaging rays of radiant light. She's also able to disorient foes with dazzling displays of colors, and she has just recently learned to become invisible, making her even more useful as the Blackburn's head of security.

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Name - Blackout

Faction - Nova Vigilance / Teragen Liberation Team

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Blackout's real name is known to only a few, and that's the way she wishes to keep it. Her baseline life is meaningless now, aside from the lessons learned as a former intelligence operative, and she has fully embraced her life as a nova. She is deeply loyal to the Teragen and would die for the movement. She's known for selflessly putting herself into dangerous situations to help her teammates.

Within Nova Vigilance, she is the leader of the Teragen Liberation Team, a small group of NV Terats devoted to freeing novas from baseline captivity. She is a capable battlefield leader, specializing in small team tactics, and her team has rescued half a dozen novas that would have otherwise died from baseline hands.

Quantum Abilities - Blackout can surround herself in roiling black energy, which she uses to protect herself and strike at her enemies. She also possesses the ability to teleport.

(For more on Blackout, see Worldwide: Phase 1, pgs. 111-112)

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Heavy (George Tanaka)

Faction - Nova Vigilance / Teragen Liberation Team

Archetype - Undecided (First Stage)

Background - George Tanaka was banned from sumo wrestling for excessive violence, and he erupted shortly thereafter. He is an aggressive and violent nova, prone to angry outbursts, and has become the strongarm of the Teragen Liberation Team. He knows that Blackout and Leo don't approve of his violent tendancies, so he controls himself when they are watching.

George has yet to choose an Archetype, even after several years in the Teragen, and he has never voiced his view on Teragen philosophy. Many wonder how devoted to the movement he truly is, and if he uses Nova Vigilance as an excuse to engage in mindless violence.

The truth is that George is bound by honor to protect his friends and Teragen allies, and will never flee a situation until everyone is safe from harm or able to escape. He refuses to let an ally stay behind and would die to keep his honor. In a recently botched rescue attempt in China, he saved Blackout's life. This kind of selfless devotion to his teammates has kept him in favor within the Teragen thus far.

Quantum Abilities - Heavy possesses superhuman strength and durability. He can also control gravitic forces and fly at incredible speeds, despite his large frame. A favored tactic of his is to "cancel" the gravity in an area, creating a bubble where people float around as if in zero-gravity.

(For more on Heavy, see Worldwide: Phase 1, pg. 112)

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Name - Cord (Sophie)

Faction - Cult of Mal

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Sophie hails from Russia, and worked for the RusCon government as an elite contracted through DeVries for the beginning of her nova life. Swarm Queen persuaded her to join the Primacy, but she has since turned to the Cult of Mal under The Apostle's guidance. She shows an almost mindless obsession with Divis Mal that is becoming common with members of the Cult.

Sophie wears a dark blue Eufiber suit that covers all of her frame except her face, hands, and feet. She is barefoot at all times, and prefers to wear her long hair in an intricate knot of some kind. In combat, she uses a dancing style of martial arts; she created the style herself, and only a nova with her reflexes and flexibility could ever learn it.

Quantum Abilities - Cord's abilities manifest as hair-thin "strings" of glowing blue energy, which seem to manifest out of nothingness like invisible webbing or silk. She pulls on them to fly, stands on them to float in the air, lauches herself off them to leap great distances, and uses them to slice at her enemies. She's also supernaturally athletic and nimble, with incredible speed and reflexes to match. In battle, she is a dancing whirlwind of martial arts and blue energy.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Reflex (Matias Koskinen)

Faction - Primacy

Archetype - Portent (Second Stage)

Background - Matias Koskinen was born and raised in Finland, but he moved to Italy shortly after graduating from school. There, he spent time in college learning arts and music. But on a flight home to Finland, his plane's engines malfunctioned, sending it towards the ground. Matias erupted just before the plane reached the ground; he burst from his seat and tore a hole through the plane's roof to escape.

Matias became an elite for DeVries, taking on the name Reflex. He only lasted a year before quiting; he disliked fighting wars for governments he didn't believe in. He needed something more. He wanted to fight for something he knew would last. Hiding out in Italy's club scene while he tried to figure out a direction for his life, he was approached by Swarm Queen. She convinced him of the rightness of the Teragen, and he joined the Primacy as one of its first members.

As Reflex, Matias has been involved in most Primacy and Nova Vigilance operations since he joined. He's also become one of The Confederate's most trusted allies. He's become friends with Geryon, Leviathon, and Penatrator, and the four often go into battle together and stay in contact via the OpNet.

After undergoing his Chrysalis in 2012, Reflex has gained additional renown within the Primacy, becoming one of it's prominent voices. Some suggest that he try to replace The Confederate, who refuses to undergo Chrysalis, and its a thought that Matias has been considering.

Quantum Abilities - Reflex is able to run, jump, and fly at superhuman speeds. He is among one of the fastest Terats alive, and his combat experience is well-known. He can wrap himself and several nearby allies into a force field bubble, which he uses to transport them through the air while flying. He also possesses the power to redirect kinetic damage away from his body.

During his Chrysalis, Reflex gained the ability to sap a target's speed and mental faculties with a touch, and he has several white feathers growing within his hair.

Name - Doorway (Vicente Gómez)

Faction - Nova Vigilance

Archetype - Undecided (First Stage)

Background - Vicente Gómez erupted during an armed break-in of his farm in Argentina by teenage criminals. Being a weak, defenseless old man at 72 years of age, he knew he would be unable to defend himself. Wishing he was somewhere else, a portal opened before him and he walked through; he emerged in Brazil. Realizing what he was, Vicente presented himself to the Argentinian government, who hired him on as a government elite.

He enjoyed the high life for a while, in a nice house with a nice car and with enough cash to buy almost anything he wanted. But at his age, he quickly grew tired of gaining money and buying expensive things. He was beyond that stage of his life. Though he was a nova, he wished only to settle down and establish a stable life, so he could live out his remaining years in peace. He encountered Epoch during a raid on an Argentinian military compound by Nova Vigilance, and the Terat opened his eyes to the world.

Vincente is one of the newest Terats, joining just before the Michaelite raids, but he has already found a place with Nova Vigilance. Vincente is a strongly religious man. He believes his powers are a blessing from God, and that he was given his second chance to spread God's word to others. He has a strong dislike for the Cult of Mal as a result, who he sees as falsely setting themselves up as gods. He also prefers to avoid violence; instead of joining in battles, he simply drops NV Terats off at their destinations and picks them up later. He's helped a great deal with taking extra workload off Blinker's back.

Quantum Abilities - Doorway can open warp holes between locations. After experimenting with this ability, Doorway has developed the ability to the "bend" the space around him to a limited degree.

Doorway also possesses exceptional sensory abilities, which become overloaded when he's around too much noise or other stimuli. As a result, he prefers to stay alone in quiet places.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Damian Storm

Faction - Nova Vigilance

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Damian Storm grew up in northern California as an outcast. He wasn't strong, good looking, or courageous, and no one wanted to be his friend or date him. He spent a lot of time alone and was diagnosed with clinical depression after reaching high school. The pills for his depression helped with his attitude, but they still didn't change his situation.

One day when getting beat up by bullies, he erupted. He soundly beat every bully unconscious, then tracked down all of their girlfriends and seduced them into having sex with him. He knew what he had become...a nova. In a matter of days he had become the most popular kid in school.

Project Utopia took him in soon afterwards, but his new attitude became too much of a hassle; Damian had a habit of doing whatever he wanted, ethics be damned. After seducing one of the local female Utopian coordinators, who happened to be a Proteus operative, he learned that he had been slated for "accidental elimination" because his careless nature had made him a problem.

Damian fled. He joined the Teragen less than a year after the Null Manifesto, and has been a devoted Nova Vigilance Terat ever since Geryon started organizing it and staging missions. He joined because he agrees with the Null Manifesto, but also because he doesn't want to see any more novas become "accidentally eliminated" by Utopia.

Damian appears baseline, with no physical abnormalities or energy emissions to speak of. He is very well built and muscular though, and he has the face of a model. His hair is short and brown and his eyes turned dark blue upon eruption. He prefers to wear tight jeans and t-shirts that can show off his body.

Quantum Abilities - Damian's appearance and fitness are into the realm of superhuman. He also has irresistable charm, which he uses almost daily to get laid. The one quantum power he has exhibited thus far is the ability to fly, but he does so without wings or any kind of gravitic or telekinetic manipulation. The source of his flying ability is a mystery.

Name - Speck (Jenny Fynn)

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Jenny's baseline life was very simple, as was her eruption. A minimum-wage fast-food worker in rural Oklahoma, her family's two-story house was knocked down by a tornado with her on the first floor. Trapped under the wreckage with no way out, she erupted, becoming as small as a mouse. She walked out of the collapsed house minutes later, but none of her family survived.

She was 4 months pregnant at the time of her eruption, and with her husband and family dead, she didn't know where to turn. She went to the nearest Rashoud facility and Utopia started training her in her abilities, and she took the name Speck. Months later she had a miscarriage, and Utopia told her it was the result of her eruption. But she wasn't convinced...her baby felt fine for the first days after her eruption, and she only felt problems with her pregnancy after coming to Utopia.

She fled, first to Canada, then to England, and finally to Spain. Her knowledge of the Spanish language helped her at first, but her nova identity was too hard to conceal. Orzaiz came to her and offered her shelter, which she accepted. She became one of Orzaiz's first allies, forming the beginning of what would later be known as the Casablancas. She also convinced Orzaiz of Utopia's forced miscarriage of her child, which further convinced him to pursue the sterilization rumors that Bounty later spoke of.

Speck is a very determined woman. Utopia killed her baby, and she remembers that fact every waking minute of her life. She's also midly aggressive towards Bounty and her children, something she wishes she wasn't. She plays infiltrator for Orzaiz, but avoids violence when she can.

Quantum Abilities - Speck can shrink herself to miniscule sizes. The exact limit of this power is unknown to everyone except Speck, but she has been rumored to shrink small enough to hide inside of a pen. She also has advanced visual capabilities, and has trained herself in martial arts. Any other abilities have yet to be seen by other Terats.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Leo (Leo Washington)

Faction - Nova Vigilance / Teragen Liberation Team

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Leo Washington's real name is a mystery. How he came to the Teragen is a mystery as well. He supports the Teragen Liberation Team in battle, using his considerable powers from the back-lines.

Leo is well into his late twenties, but still looks like a harmless teenage boy. This is perhaps a side effect of his entropy manipulating abilities. People have a hard time taking him seriously because of it. Leo is also not fully accustomed to combat, even after several years of TLT operations, so he sometimes hesitates at the wrong moments. Blackout and Heavy have tolerated his almost cowardly behavior thus far, since his powers have helped save them on more than one occasion.

Leo has a crush on Blackout, one that is driving him crazy. He knows Blackout will never like him in return, which only makes his situation worse. He feels like an outcast among the Teragen, and lately Deloremier has been eyeing him.

Quantum Abilities - Leo's powers affect probability and entropy, and he also possesses flesh restoring abilities. The absolute range of his powers has yet to be seen, though he does like to use his powers to impress people if they will watch.

(For more on Leo, see Worldwide: Phase 1, pgs. 112-113)

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Name - Blinker (Domenic Thule)

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Portent (Second Stage)

Background - After eruption, Domenic Thule worked for NASA, helping them perform nova-related tests in space. He agreed with the Null Manifesto, and staying in space gave him much time to reflect on it.

Domenic sought out the Teragen. He eventually reached Club Zmei, where he met Shrapnel and Swarm Queen, and they offered him a place in the Primacy. He continued to perform missions for NASA until he decided it was his time to commit fully to the Teragen. That time came when he underwent his Chrysalis. Opening his suit in deep space, Domenic's body was taken in by the exposure to vacuum. But he instead adapted to the situation, and teleported away to a safe location where he entered Chrysalis.

Upon emerging, Domenic took the name Blinker, and has since switched allegiances to Orzaiz and the Casablancas. He's well-known throughout the Teragen movement because he's their chief teleporter, and many Terats regard him with at least a little respect. He spends a lot of his time within the movement taking people from place to place.

He keeps his personal life personal, and never opens up to people. His emotions are his own, and he's not letting anyone get close.

Quantum Abilities - Blinker can become a creature of living shadow, an invisible monster upon the darkness of space. He's also an extremely talented teleporter, able to move himself great distances and even open warp-holes for allies to fit through.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Boogeyman (Louis Lefebvre)

Faction - Pandamonion (loosely affiliated with Radical Harvesters)

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Louis was born and raised in Lyon, France, and his life turned completely upside down when he was fourteen. Though a fourteen year old, Louis was still mortally scared of almost everything. He was scared of being alone in a room, he was scared of being outside at night, he was scared that there were monsters under his bed, and he was scared that everyone was out to get him.

That fear built up over time. And one night, when Louis told his particularly cruel older brother that he couldn't sleep because of the monster in the closet, his brother threw him into the closet and locked the door behind him. Louis spent the next two minutes in hysterical fits of rage and fear. He pounded on the door and pled with his brother to let him out, but his brother refused. Louis declared that his brother would not be forgiven for this.

And that's when a hand placed itself on Louis's shoulder. Turning around, Louis saw a large creature with darkened skin a wide toothy smile. The creature assured him everything was going to be alright, and for the first time in his life, Louis felt no fear. The baseline known as Louis faded away, and the creature that replaced him burst through the door and killed its former brother.

Louis became the terror of Lyon for a short time. The city hired trackers to take him down, but none were successful; Louis was always a step ahead, spreading fear among those he came into contact with.

It wasn't until he met Narcosis that his spree of fear came to an end. She showed him the Pandamonion and gave him purpose. Now, with the name Boogeyman, he works as a sort of "strong arm" for Narcosis, doing dirty jobs other Pandamonion Terats won't bother with. He still has to hide from the occassional nova hunter, but he has friends to help protect him now. He's been making friends with some of the more radical Harvesters lately, as they seem to understand him more than Pandamonion Terats do.

Quantum Abilities - Boogeyman's new body looks almost comical. His skin has been replaced with a dark blue, almost rubbery substance, and he has lost all body hair. His form has also become wider than normal as if obese, and he prefers to go naked at all times. His face has eyesockets with no eyes, and his mouth is extremely wide and lined with numerous sharp, jagged teeth.

But that's where the humor ends, since Boogeyman can reach into a person's mind and make all of their fears come out, sending them into terrified states. He can also phase himself through walls and become incorporeal, but when he's in a solid state, his strength is great enough that he can punch through brick walls. He recently learned to change his shape into that of a typical baseline, which he uses to live as Mr. Chambers in Havana.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Noor

Faction - Cult of Mal

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Not much is known about the life of the woman called Noor. She wears robes and a veil at all times and does not speak. She has been with the Cult of Mal since it was formed, but remains away from The Apostle's influence, prefering to remain alone. She has garnered some kind of respect within the cult, yet she never uses her influence. She spends her time contemplating and meditating in front of shrines to Mal.

Noor is one of few Middle Eastern novas not controlled by Tarik ib'n Mahmoud, and as such has become important to those Terats oppossing the leader of the Companions. She wishes not to become embroiled in political struggles however, wishing only to contemplate life and bask in the divine wisdom of Mal.

Quantum Abilities - Noor's forehead is constantly aglow with light, as if her mind is possessed of infinite wisdom and realization. She can cover her body with a cocoon of light, and instantly teleport herself to another location. She also does not speak vocally with anyone, prefering to use telepathic communication.

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Name - Ether Girl (Grace Moreno)

Faction - Casablancas / CORE

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Grace Moreno was born in the city of Guanajuato in Mexico but when she was eight years old, her family moved to Anaheim, California. She has only been with the Teragen for a year, so it is assumed she erupted recently. Grace's background is unknown to most Terats, and none have asked, mostly because they have never had the opportunity to do so.

Grace is like a ghost within the movement, never staying in one place for very long and never letting people understand her. She works for CORE International, though her exact role within The Mathematician's corporation is not known. She assists the Casablancas faction, and is rumored to be friends with several Pandamonion Terats.

She spends time at Club Zmei, the Blackburn, the Pheonix Room, and other popular nova clubs, but her reasons are a mystery. For one that goes to such great lengths to remain private, she picks strange places to spend her free time. Perhaps she simply enjoys the company of other novas.

Quantum Abilities - Ether Girl's powers allow her to become invisible and intangible, as if she were a ghost. She is rumored to have other abilities, but they are not widely known.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Locust

Faction - Radical Harvesters

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Locust is an insectile-looking nova hailing from somewhere in central Africa; he erupted when a locust swarm assaulted his farmstead, destroying his crops. After eruption he came to Addis Ababa to seek Utopia's help with his Tainted form, and they secretly shipped him off to Bahrain. He was one of the few imprisoned novas at Bahrain that the Teragen managed to break free during the infamous Bahrain attack that rescued Caroline Fong, and he has been a loyal Harvester ever since.

Despite his appearance, Locust is quite intelligent. He focuses his time on expanding his mind, hoping to become as smart as he is monstrous. But while he agrees with Zia's pursuit of an intellectual understanding of Taint, he agrees more with Leviathan's view that Taint should be embraced, and has placed himself entirely into Leviathan's camp.

He recently developed two quantum abilities that have nothing to do with his insectile state: teleportation and telekinesis. His knowledge of quantum has made him quite popular among the Harvesters and other tainted Terats, and many look to him for advice.

Quantum Abilities - Locust can command any insects within his vicinity, and boasts an impressive physical presence in combat. His locust-like body gives him several benefits, like a strong carapace, wings for flying, and spikes for attacking. His intellect is also into the realm of superhuman.

More strikingly, he also exhibits the power to teleport himself and a passenger, which is a power he developed entirely through his study of his own manipulation of quantum. And more recently, he has developed the power to move objects with his mind.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Jaunt

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - The creature known as Jaunt is a warper for the Casablancas. How she came to work for Orzaiz is not known, but rumor has it that she was the one that contacted him. She has been working for the Count since 2010. When she isn't warping Terats between locations, she keeps to herself and avoids battles and conflicts. She is infamous for being a lone wolf and dropping out of contact for weeks at a time without warning.

Jaunt keeps her baseline identity secret. She wears a large dark green cloak that hides her body at all times, and underneath that is a skin-tight Eufiber suit. Her hair color usually matches that of her cloak. The only part of her body that is not covered is her face...or what's left of it. Jaunt's eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and other facial features were gone before she ever joined the movement. Her face is empty, like a featureless mask, yet she has somehow managed to overcome her lack of natural senses.

Jaunt's background and hobbies are the subject of much speculation. Some say that Jaunt is a sociopath that secretly hunts down other novas, and some say that she is a spy for Utopia or the Directive. Her long periods of absence have many suspicious of her, but her warping ability means that few actually complain.

Quantum Abilities - Jaunt can open warp holes between locations. She can also communicate telepathically, and possesses several other minor powers that few ever see.

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Name - The Tanaka Twins, Hiroshima (Kaito Tanaka) and Nagasaki (Kenta Tanaka)

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Hiroshima: Marvel (First Stage), Nagasaki: Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Kaito and Kenta Tanaka were born and raised in Osaka, Japan. The brothers did everything together, from schoolwork and chores to random mischief. They hated to do anything seperately of each other, and would become noticebly depressed when seperated for too long. But upon graduating from high school, Kaito wanted to focus on sports and Kenta wanted to focus on medicine, and the two had a falling out and split.

Their time apart was hard for both of them. It was this stress and loneliness that caused slow, gradual eruptions in both of them. Sensing that a change was occuring the brothers reunited, and upon coming within close proximity of each other their powers manifested for the first time.

The Tanaka Twins, as they came to be called, became local celebrities in Osaka. They joined Project Utopia briefly and assisted with construction and terraforming operations. They were never completely loyal to Utopia however, and split after two years of service to work for the Japanese government as elites. It was through CORE International that the Tanaka Twins were contacted by Count Orzaiz, and over time he brought them into the Teragen movement. They took the names Hiroshima and Nagasaki to represent their new lives.

Kaito and Kenta are inseperable and do everything together. This feeling of companionship goes well beyond the connection felt by normal baseline twins; the Takana Twins' quantum signatures are somehow entwined, and their minds share some form of direct connection. The two finish each other's sentences and each can remember things that the other experiences. But what really makes some Terats uncomfortable is the almost sexual way the two interact at times.

Though they are twins, they do share some distinctions. Kaito is athletically built and spends more time practicing martial arts, while Kenta is generally smarter and spends more time learning academics. Kaito also comes off as more impulsive, where Kenta is typically more patient.

Quantum Abilities - The Tanaka Twins have potent control over destructive, fiery energy. When alone, Hiroshima and Nagasaki can fly and project deadly beams of bright orange flame. But when in close proximity, they can combine their powers to create utterly devestating effects capable of leveling buildings. They also share a mental link which allows constant contact between thier minds, and rumor has it the two possess other abilities that take advantage of their unique connection.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Boom-Boom (Edward Lee Harmon)

Faction - Pandamonion

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Edward Lee Harmon was born into great wealth. His family's fortune came from old money, and they maintained their level of status over the years through real estate investments. Edward was raised with the mentality that since he was rich, he should flaunt his wealth and standing in society; he was a noble for the new age, and he should act the part. He grew up with access to almost anything he desired, and he never backed down from the chance to spend money. The greed was overwhelming, and Edward felt the only way for him to be complete as a person was accumulate as much as possible. By the time he graduated high school he had a house full of expensive furniture, a garage full of expensive cars, a gallery full of expensive art, and an account with enough money to buy three times as much as he already had.

And he became miserable. Sitting motionless and alone in his room, Edward came to contemplate his life. He looked around at all of the expensive things he had surrounded himself with and realized that they had been holding him back. He had spent his life walled behind material excess, while completely ignoring what truly mattered; personal excess.

It all became clear, and in that moment of clarity, Edward erupted. The silence of his room was drowned in intense noise, and all of the material excess he had cloaked himself with shattered and crumbled apart. The destruction of his self-imposed jail was the only release.

Edward took the name Boom-Boom and became a regular in the club scene. He met Narcosis and became one of her first hanger-ons, eagerly adopting the Pandamonion philosophy. He also became the most outspoken of the Pandamonion poseurs; being quiet was not something Boom-Boom was good at. He was loud and he was obnoxious, and anyone that stood in his way was removed in his quest to satisfy himself.

Sex, drugs, violence, murder...Boom-Boom regularly indulges in all of these and more. He has taken the Pandamonion philosophy to heart, doing whatever he feels will give him a rush, and he does so with the knowledge that as a nova there will be no consequences. He also doesn't care how others perceive him, he only cares about reveling in his own actions and making himself feel better. Anyone that disagrees with his idea of fun just can't comprehend him.

After Narcosis and Honeytrap, he is the most popular Pandamonion Terat in the movement, and has begun to attract poseurs of his own. He's also irritated with Narcosis' desire to hog attention for herself...an irritation he isn't alone in feeling. Word has it that he wants Narcosis gone.

Quantum Abilities - Boom-Boom creates destructive sound. His control is usually more blantant than subtle, as subtlety isn't something Boom-Boom prefers. He can amplify sounds enough that they deafen people and cause bodily harm. His favored tactic in battle is to send giant "spheres" of sound screaming into buildings and enemies, causing massive destruction wherever they strike.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Della Weisskopf

Faction - Independant Terat

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Della Weisskopf erupted during an emotional break-up with her boyfriend of three years. Not able to understand why he would leave her, she delved directly into his mind and discovered he had been cheating on her. Angry, she wiped all memory of their relationship from her boyfriend's mind, then tracked down his other girlfriend and warped her mind into thinking she was a lesbian. Della knew she was a nova, and presented herself to the German government soon after.

Della spent her first years after eruption working with detective agencies in Germany and around the world, interrogating and tracking criminals. She was able to see through lies and predict criminal actions, and her skills gained her enough clout and fame that she was able to open the Weisskopf Investigative Agency, with offices in Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, Rome, and Calcutta.

Della has only recently joined the Teragen movement, and has not admitted her new affiliation publically. She is a highly respected nova in the world arena, and does not need the Directive and Project Utopia coming down on her...especially since both organizations are regular clients of hers. She is also a member of the Gestalt, but rarely interacts with the other members; Della doesn't trust telepaths.

Della has not sided with any single faction of the Teragen, but many assume she has sided with Narcosis, since it was Narcosis that introduced her to the movement. Being inside so many minds has given her a perspective on life no baseline could ever hope for, and she has come to the Teragen to gain insight into Chrysalis. She performs the occassional interrogation or mindreading but makes sure to stay out of public sight, preferring to support the movement from afar with information.

If she feels that her position as a world-respected interrogator and investigator is going to be comprimised, Della is willing to immediately sever all ties with the movement and deny ever being involved. Perhaps with enough time, her feelings will change.

Quantum Abilities - Della Weisskopf is an extremely powerful psychic. Her telepathic prowess is renowned across the world, and she rarely encounters a nova whose mind she can't pierce. Even without telepathy, Della is an incredibly astute and manipulative person, able to detect in advance how a person will think and what they will feel. Using subtlety, or even fear, she can trick a criminal into divulging anything she wants. As far as Della is concerned, every mind is a book; she need only open the cover to know everything about a person.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Riptide

Faction - Pandamonion / Tchernabog

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Riptide is the guitarist and bassist for the Pandamonion Productions punk band Tchernabog. He plays a unique combination guitar/bass instrument that takes advantage of the fact that he has four arms. He first met the band's drummer at a heavy metal show, another four-armed nova named Ichor, and the two instantly hit it off. He later encountered Riot, and the three put a band together.

Riptide doesn't socialize much, preferring to either play music or sleep with any attractive men he encounters that don't mind the fact that he has four arms. Not much else matters to him, really. He's a very simple guy, and he acknowledges that. OpNet fan gossip attaches him sexually to Riot, but the two deny any sexual relation. He accompanies Narcosis from time to time, but prefers to ignore her scheming and politicking; the less he knows, the less he gets involved.

Riptide's just in it for the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll.

Quantum Abilities - Riptide has four arms and is highly skilled at guitar playing. He also has a degree of control over sound waves which he uses during live performances. He recently sprouted a barbed tail, which he thinks is pretty awesome.

********************

Name - Ichor

Faction - Radical Harvesters / Tchernabog

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Ichor is the four-armed drummer for Tchernabog. He became friends with Riptide at a metal show, and the two formed Tchernabog with Riot. Ichor was originally with Pandamonion, but has recently joined the radical faction of the Harvesters. While not physically revolting, the nature of his powers fits in well with their philosophy. He's one of only a few Harvesters that goes out into public freely. This faction shift has not caused any obvious friction in Tchernabog.

Ichor is the quiet, reserved member of Tchernabog. He lets Riot make a scene and gather the attention, and he lets Riptide horde all the sex. In his free time, Ichor focuses on becoming a Marvel within the Harvesters. He awaits the day when he can emerge from his Chrysalis as a bizarre and startling creature, one that will amaze and awe the baseline masses.

Ichor's skin is a pale orange/tan color, and his four hands look slightly misshapen and bulbous. He has a short, stubby horn growing from his forehead. He goes shirtless for shows, and prefers steel-toed boots.

Quantum Abilities - Ichor has four arms and is a competant drummer. But his main power is his control over his own bloodstream. Ichor can survive drinking or eating almost anything he can swallow, no matter how toxic or poisonous it is; his bodily systems are incredibly powerful and resilient. His blood is so powerful it fights off infections of every kind and his wounds heal almost instantly.

His most spectacular ability is when he transforms himself into a creature of pure blood. It is an ability he uses rarely, but it lets him lash at and sufficate enemies with trails of mentally controlled blood.

********************

Name - Penetrator

Faction - Pandamonion / Narcosis' Inner Circle

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - The details of Penetrator's baseline life will probably never be known. Penetrator was born female, and erupted while being sexually molested; that is all anyone knows for sure. The Terat joined the Pandamonion in 2006 and quickly made his/her way into Narcosis' inner circle. Penetrator is reliable for Narcosis because he/she is a talented seducer but can also act as an assassin and even a street-level warrior.

Penetrator is loyal to Narcosis, though not blindly so. He agrees with the Pandamonion philosophy, but doesn't indulge publically in it; Penetrator strives for privacy. Word has it that his/her idea of bedroom "fun" often ends in the fatality of the other person.

Penetrator's personality changes subtley, depending on his/her gender at the time. As a woman, she is seductive and diabolical, almost downright evil. As a man, he is aggressive and testosterone-fueled, with a bizarre sense of violent humor.

Penetrator has become friends with Geryon, Leviathan, and Reflex; the three stay in contact through the OpNet.

Quantum Abilities - Penetrator can change gender at will. He/she also possesses superhuman physical traits which make him/her a potent melee combatant. He/she also has a dangerous scorpion-like stinger sprouting from the back of the neck, above the shoulder blades, which is used in combat (and after sex) to kill. Penetrator also has small, sharp teeth and a forked snake-like tongue.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Giancarlo Vocaccio

Faction - Casablancas (Loosely)

Archetype - None (First Stage)

Background - Giancarlo Vocaccio is the Prime Minister of Italy, making him the most powerful nova in the entire nation, and one of the most powerful public novas Europe. He erupted in 2001, and began his rise to power soon after. His charisma and social skills were simply unbeatable and he shot through the ranks of the government faster than he had anticipated.

As a publically open nova in an important government position, he has been making news around the globe and he is a household name across Europe. He isn't an actual Terat, and he hasn't confirmed if he does or doesn't agree with the Null Manifesto, but he has been a great asset to the Casablancas ever since he agreed to help Orzaiz in 2012. He periodically sends Orzaiz information on Project Utopia's activities in Italy, and has even helped a few Terats escape T2M-Europe. Among those few that know of Vocaccio's secret relationship with the Casablancas, two rumors hold popular: that Vocaccio is in debt to Orzaiz and waiting for the day when he can fully repay him, and that Vocaccio is being blackmailed into cooperation through a particularly debilitating tactical move on Orzaiz's part. The truth of either cannot be proven.

Privately, Vocaccio loathes Utopia. He envisions a strong and prosperous Italy, and sees the Project as opposition. Whether or not he turns to the Null Manifesto remains to be seen, but for now, Orzaiz is willing to take whatever help Vocaccio is willing to offer. The Count just prays Vocaccio doesn't turn to the Directive instead. Some wonder if he'll run for the office of President of Italy in the next election; many more wonder if he could possibly lose if he did.

Quantum Abilities - Giancarlo Vocaccio's social skills are legendary. The Prime Minister can convince almost anyone of anything he wants to, and his speeches carry the kind of emotional resonance no baseline could ever match. He's incredibly handsome and charming as well, making him perfect European tabloid fodder. He also has a keen intellect, being able to organize and administrate on a superhuman level. He's what every world leader wishes they could be.

********************

Name - Eyelash

Allegiance - Project Proteus (Non-Teragen)

Background - Eyelash is a Proteus nova specializing in recon and information gathering. She was recently assigned to observe the new Prometheans faction and gather information on the happenings of the Teragen movement.

Quantum Abilities - Eyelash has four eyes. Any other abilities or physical characteristics are unknown.

********************

Name - La Flamberge

Allegiance - Independant (Non-Teragen)

Background - Not much is truly known about La Flamberge. Though she isn't the municipal defender of New York City (that title would fall to the Gothic Knight) she does stalk the streets at night, combating crime. She has some kind of connection to King Cobra, and the two sometimes stalk the streets of NYC together. Her baseline identity is a secret, and she rarely interacts with others, even as a nova.

Quantum Abilities - La Flamberge has power over fire. Her trademark is a quantum-charged flaming sword. Any other abilities are unknown.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Kitsune

Faction - Primacy

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Kitsune is a former Japanese elite that joined the Primacy in 2013. She has mostly been assisting in Primacy and Nova Vigilance attacks against China; she has some kind of agenda against the nation. This has not only earned her the contempt of the Chinese government, but also of the Heaven Thunder Triad, who she has apparently crossed before.

Her baseline identity is a secret. She only ever seems to socialize with Primacy Terats, and ignores the politics of the other factions. While Kitsune isn't a well-known nova, she has become quite popular among fans of "furries" on the OpNet.

Quantum Abilities - Kitsune is a gorgeous woman, even when one considers her animal-like features. She has a very thin coat of fur over her skin and has three fox tails sprouting from her lower back. Her eyes are sharp like a fox's and her ears are pointed. In combat she is incredibly quick, and can breathe fire at enemies.

********************

Name - Wah'esh

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Only a few Terats claim to have ever met Wah'esh. The nova is said to be male and operating independantly out of Pakistan, though that could very well be a fabrication. He is reportedly one of the first Casablancas that Orzaiz gathered. He is also familiar with the Middle East and Central Asia, helping Orzaiz keep tabs on activity in the region outside of Tarik's influence.

Word has it that Wah'esh has gained the ire of Tarik, though nothing can be said for certain. It's hard to establish facts about Wah'esh when there are so many Terats that don't even believe he exists. Some suspect that Wah'esh may even be a creation of Tarik's.

Quantum Abilities - Wah'esh's quantum abilities are unknown.

********************

Name - Eric Ballard

Faction - Pandamonion / Narcosis' Inner Circle

Archetype - None (First Stage)

Background - Eric has joined the Teragen after he first heard Mal issuing the Null Manifesto. He joined through Orzaiz but eventually fell in with Narcosis, becoming a personal assistant of sorts. He doesn't become involved in any violent actions or public demonstrations with other Terats; Ballard prefers to work behind-the-scenes, where his skills are at their greatest.

He helps organize Teragen events around the globe, even for other factions, and has started working closely with Synapse of late. Most Terats have met him, though very few will ever get to know him; he's too busy to socialize. It is said he is quick to anger and has little patience for others.

Like Orzaiz, he has refused to choose an Archetype and undergo Chrysalis, which makes radical elements like the Harvesters and the Cult of Mal doubt his faithfullness to the movement. Narcosis doesn't mind, and Ballard is one of her most trusted allies.

Quantum Abilities - Eric Ballard is highly intelligent, and a powerful social networker. His hair is also made of steel, a side-effect of Taint. Any other abilities are unknown.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Lockdown (Oliver Davies)

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Undecided (First Stage)

Background - Oliver Davies hails from Leeds, England. A partier, Davies found himself wandering England, getting drunk everywhere he went. Bored, he drunkenly made his way to France, then Spain, and then to Iziba. The lure of meeting novas was too strong to resist.

Through a bizarre series of events and circumstances, involving a distracting nova brawl outside and a convincing set of glowing contact lenses, he managed to sneak his way into the Amp Room. The overwhelming sensation of inferiority was too much to handle, and he erupted, disabling the powers of several nearby novas. His mind couldn't handle the stress of not having any peers, so it "knocked them down a few pegs", making them more baseline like Davies. Orzaiz immediately sheltered the newly erupted nova.

Now, as Lockdown, Davies assists the Count with the apprehension of dangerous novas, to which his powers are best suited. Davies is a bit of a loose cannon and has gotten into several shouting matches with other Terats, but he obeys every word spoken to him by Orzaiz and never argues against the Count.

Quantum Abilities - Lockdown can negate the quantum abilities of other novas, as well as disable senses. It is rumored he knows how to forcefully put another nova into "dormancy" but he hasn't commented on the issue. His lack of offensive abilities means he assists the Teragen from the shadows.

********************

Name - Emelia Smythe

Faction - Conservative Harvesters / Heartland Terats

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - Emelia Smythe's eruption when she was fifteen was due to the simplest of circumstances. Her annoying younger sister had jumped out from behind a corner to scare her, setting off her eruption. But what she became was anything but simple. She became a creature so frightening that Emelia's younger sister is still institutionalized from the trauma.

Her parents kept Emelia locked in their basement until they managed to contact the Teragen through Orzaiz; they feared any other group would kill her. She was sent to Heartland and became a Harvester. Her father now acts as the representitive of Mr. Jefferies, the fictional owner of the Blackburn, as payment for Emelia's care.

Emelia is incredibly smart, despite her outward appearance, but she has issues. She has self-esteem, beauty, and abandonment problems to deal with, and is slowly working to overcome them through the philosophy of Teras. She still feels uncomfortable around the Tainted novas she is forced to live with, and is secretly obsessed with becoming as gorgeous as Lydia Divine or Honeytrap. This is her Achilles' Heel, and has made her suprisingly easy to manipulate. She becomes fixated over attractive female novas and attempts to emulate them when she can, in the vain hope that she can be like them, and obsesses over attractive male novas, much to their chagrin.

Quantum Abilities - Emelia's body resembles that of a stag beetle mixed with a black widow, but even that description isn't accurate enough. Her lower torso is four-legged with an insect's abdomen, and her upper body sits upon it like a human torso, and her body is encased in a thick black shell. Her mouth is always open with her beak-like teeth always exposed, accompanied by two tiny claws at the creases of her "lips" that help tear food apart. She has an impressive three-foot long horn upon her thick skull. She has two large, solid- orange eyes, but also has a dozen or so smaller eyes throughout her head and face. She can spray enemies in a sticky ooze to imobilize them and can scale vertical surfaces.

She also has a nova-level intellect, but rarely puts it to good use; her obsession with looking beautiful has blinded her to her most valuable trait.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Mimi

Faction - Radical Harvesters (loosely affiliated with the Casablancas)

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - Mimi hails from Montreal, Canada. Her baseline life had devolved into one of constant hedonism; she spent a lot of time drunk, and just as much time experimenting with drugs. After a few years of this, she developed an obsession for the thrill of sexual encounters with strangers, and began seeking out random men in bars to fulfill her lust. She became sure that if she kept up her pace, she would eventually find a man that would keep her satisfied. It was during a particularly intense sexual encounter with just such a stranger that she erupted. Her face split open, and her mind reached directly into her partner's and molded it into what she desired.

She joined the Teragen soon after. Her amazing looks and telepathy served the Casablancas well. She seduced targets, and whenever the Teragen was finished with them, she molded their personalities and erased their memories. She was briefly imprisoned by the Directive alongside Cornelius White and the Hare, but was rescued soon after by Nova Vigilance.

A build-up of Taint has taken it's toll on Mimi's physique. Her face now resembles that of a bat, with the fur, ears, and nose to match, yet her body remains shapely and attractive by any standard. She has recently changed allegiances to the Radical Harvesters; she strives to become a Monster of the mind.

Quantum Abilities - Mimi is a telepath. Her particular talent is for rewriting a person's mind, completely altering who they used to be and how they act. She abuses this talent regularly, but makes sure to cover her tracks so she doesn't end up in another Directive prison cell. She also possesses nova-level gorgeousness, aside from her face, and has superhuman speed and reflexes. It is said she knows how to use the "dorming" technique to appear as a baseline.

When using telepathy Mimi's face splits open along various lines in her skin, opening up much like a book, to reveal the inside of her face. The effect is startling to witness.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Cornelius White

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - None (First Stage)

Background - As a baseline, Cornelius White suffered from sleeping problems. He tried every medication and technique he could think of, but nothing worked; he would lay quiet for hours before falling asleep, and when he did sleep it would be briefly and his dreams nightmarish. Even worse, the nightmares themselves were brutal and repeated themselves. One dream in particular had Cornelius chased to the end of a cliff and shoved off, and no matter how hard he tried he could never fly to safety.

Cornelius' life outside of sleeping wasn't any better. Within the span of just two months, his wife cheated on him, his parents died, he was fired from his job, and he went into debt. He became depressed and decided that death was the only release from his suffering.

The night before his planned suicide, he experienced the cliff dream again. This time he was ready to embrace death. Before he could be pushed over the edge, he leapt off. When he awoke, seconds later, he was floating a mile above ground.

Erupting was the greatest thing that happened to Cornelius. His baseline life was depressing and infuriating. Becoming a nova was like being reborn; an appropriate description for someone that "killed" himself prior to eruption. He no longer felt like a baseline, and joined the Teragen after gaining control of his abilities.

Cornelius is a bodyguard for the Casablancas, and joins others from the faction in the field. His abilities aren't well suited to espionage, information gathering, or social manipulations so he helps protect those that are well suited. He also has a child in the Nursery, and makes periodic visits with Bounty's permission. His daughter Emma has yet to erupt, but he eagerly awaits fathering her when she does.

He has been with the movement for many years, but hasn't chosen an Archetype. Like Orzaiz, he sees no need to enter Chrysalis and actually enjoys his humanity, though he still believes that novas should remain seperate from baseline laws. It is this view that has kept Cornelius with the Casablancas and not with another faction.

Quantum Abilities - Cornelius can fly at tremendous speeds and with great agility; he's one of the best aerial combatants among the Teragen. He is resilient enough to survive long falls to the ground and has increased resistance to ballistic/physical attacks. He also hasn't slept a day since his eruption, which doesn't have any negative effects on his mind or body.

**********

Name - Fetch

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Portent (Second Stage)

Background - Fetch was one of the first Casablancas, and has been faithfully serving Count Orzaiz since. His special quantum abilities have made him the Count's primary infiltrator and information gatherer. Fetch is one of only a handful of novas that Orzaiz completely trusts.

Fetch doesn't meet very often with other Terats; as a result very few have ever met him. He has formed friendships with a few Casablanca Terats, and it is said that he has worked closely with Synapse on several occasions.

Fetch went through Chrysalis in late 2011 and emerged Second Stage, but he left the process with unwanted side-effects. The few that are aware of his botched Chrysalis attempt claim that he no longer has total control over his abilities. None can confirm this for certain, but the fact remains that no one has encountered or heard from Fetch since his Chrysalis, aside from Orzaiz and Synapse.

Quantum Abilities - Fetch's quantum abilities allow him to erase his existence. He can become invisible to sight and undetectable by other normal senses. He is nearly immune to all forms of quantum detection, can pass through physical barriers, can fool electronic sensors, and his mind is almost unreachable.

If the rumors of his botched Chrysalis are true, Fetch no longer has control over these abilities. He is stuck in a state of quantum exile, no longer able to interact normally with the world around him. In this case, his powers work in reverse. He no longer concentrates on becoming invisible, he concentrates on becoming visible; he no longer concentrates on phasing through matter, he concentrates on becoming solid again.

[Blue Thunder]

***CHARACTER UPDATE***

Name - Count Raoul Orzaiz

Faction - Casablancas / Pantheon

Archetype - None (First Stage)

Updated Background - Count Raoul Orzaiz has been busier than ever. He understood years ago that a conflict was going to break out between the various factions of the Teragen (even if Pedro had decided not to point the specifics of such a future out to him) and has taken precautionary steps to help survive it. He has taken secretive actions against Marcel Delorimier and Tarik ibn'Mahmoud, become the mentor of Envy, and established the Prometheans to act as the Casablanca's "forward force" to act where he can't.

He is also aware of the dissent within his own ranks and the weakness of his current alliances. Sin-Eater becomes more reclusive every day and seems to be bonding with the Radical Harvesters, while Synapse has become increasingly untrustworthy and unreliable ever since his Chrysalis. Various other members within the Casablancas have begun to question whether or not they should change factions. Orzaiz is afraid that if he spends too much time focusing on loyalty within his ranks he'll be destroyed from forces on the outside, and if he focuses too much on defeating external enemies he'll be torn apart from within. He tries his best to balance both.

His refusal to undergo Chrysalis, even after all these years, has increasingly infuriated the Radical Harvesters, the Cult of Mal, and many other Terats. Orzaiz refuses to undergo Chrysalis just to prove his loyalty, and it is only the acceptance of his decision by Divis Mal himself that has prevented the more aggressive Terats from openly assaulting the Count on the issue.

(For more information on Count Raoul Orzaiz, see Aberrant, Aberrant: Teragen, Aberrant Storyteller's Screen, and Worldwide: Phase 2.)

*****

Name - Emma White

Faction - The Nursery

Archetype - None (First Stage)

Background - Emma White is the four year old child of Cornelius White. She hasn't erupted yet, and has spent her entire life within the sanctuary known as the Nursery. Her father visits her whenever Bounty allows him to.

Quantum Abilities - None. Emma is a latent second generation nova, but has yet to erupt.

*****

Name - The Hare (Guilherme Abreu)

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - The deaf teenager Guilherme Abreu erupted in his hometown of Goiânia in Brazil after an emotional break-down. He sprouted long rabbit-like ears as a result, along with abilities of hearing unmatched by any baseline. He immediately checked into the nearest Rashoud facility to control his gifts and then joined Utopia.

It wasn't long after joining Utopia that he became disgusted with the way people reacted to his appearance. He hated being pointed and laughed at; it reminded him of his baseline life as a deaf youth in school. Realizing Utopia wasn't the answer he was looking for, he wandered the nova world and became a noncombat DeVries elite. Then Orzaiz came upon him and introduced him to the Teragen.

As the Hare, Guilherme has served Orzaiz and the Casablancas for many years, though he has also assisted on several Nova Vigilance missions. He truly desires to live in a nova-dominated society, and will help Orzaiz and any other Terat he feels will help him reach such a society faster. He looks up to Orzaiz as a father-like figure, but knows not to meet him in public.

He has recently become more rabbit-like in appearance, having gained a thin layer of white fur around his body. Some Terats consider this aberration to be "cute" in a comical way, and Guilherme isn't too fond of this "cute" look that he has attained. He hopes to emerge as a different creature via Chrysalis.

Quantum Abilities - The Hare has furry, white ears like those of a rabbit, with pale white fur around the rest of his body to match. He possesses incredibly powerful sensory capabilities letting him detect sounds and smells others are incapable of detecting. He is capable of echolocation, can perceive electromagnetic wavelengths, can observe targets at extreme distances, can observe microscopic life, and has an inuitive danger sense. He undoubtedly has other incredible sensory powers.

Though his bunny-like appearance evokes images of harmlessness, the Hare is actually a seasoned combatant. He can leap several kilometers in a single bound and can run in short bursts of enhanced speed. He is strong enough to lay any baseline out in a single punch, and quick enough to dodge most attacks directed at him.

[Blue Thunder]

***CHARACTER UPDATE***

Name - Synapse (Alex Doan)

Faction - Independant Terat / Pantheon

Archetype - Portent (Second Stage)

Updated Background - Synapse underwent Chrysalis in early 2014, and was declared a member of the Pantheon by Mal himself when he emerged. He claims that his Chrysalis was unlike any other; lacking a physical body, his quantum signature inhabitated a secure computer network during the entire process. Since his Chrysalis, other members of the Teragen have noticed a marked change in his personality. Synapse lacks much of the immaturity and sarcasm of his pre-Chrysalis life. He is also less willing to perform chores for other Terats, a behavior which Orzaiz seems increasingly upset over; many a time has Orzaiz requested Synapse's presence, only to get no reply. His bitterness at being thought of as nothing more than a tool becomes apparant at times. What he spends his spare time doing is anyone's guess.

Updated Quantum Abilities - Synapse has gained an impressive new ability since his Chrysalis; he can send duplicates of himself throughout the OpNet to perform multiple operations at once. His intelligence is said to have blossomed as well.

**********

Name - Permafrost (Tamara Kavenne)

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Tamara Kavenne erupted after being locked inside of a medical freezer by the angry wife of a co-worker she had been having an affair with. After exacting revenge, she was picked up by Orzaiz and joined the Casablancas.

She has become the premier gynecologist of the movement, but hasn't been seen or heard from recently. No one is sure where she has gone, but Orzaiz insists that she's fine.

Quantum Abilities - Permafrost has strong cryokinetic powers. She has an enhanced intelligence, which is commonly overlooked because of her nova-level attractiveness.

(For more on Permafrost, see A Breed Apart, pg. 62.)

**********

Name - Radiance

Faction - Cult of Mal / Four Horsemen

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Radiance has been a Horsemen for the Apostle since around 2007. She is said to be exceptionally beautiful under her mask, but also exceptionally sadistic and cruel. She is supposedly the Apostle's favored Horseman, as her rate of success is the highest.

Quantum Abilities - Radiance can mentally assault a target's mind. She can lock a target's mind in place, preventing them from performing any actions. She can also knock out their sensory perceptions, force them to see illusions, and even cause trauma to their brain. These abilities have been honed over the years and are quite potent. If she possesses any other abilities, they are not known.

**********

Name - Icewolf

Faction - Cult of Mal / Four Horsemen

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - Icewolf was a member of the Teragen Liberation Movement, a group of wannabe Terats that carried out a series of attacks in the name of the Teragen. After being captured by Utopia after a botched attack on the New York City DeVries office in 2007 he was rescued by a team of Terats led by Geryon and properly introduced to the movement.

He soon came under the sway of the Apostle, and has since become one of the Four Horsemen. He is known for his lack of emotions and absolute silence. He only speaks to the Apostle.

Quantum Abilities - Icewolf can create and control ice. He is able to protect himself with an armor made of ice, can trap enemies within shells of ice, and is immune to extremely low temperatures. He's able to project a mist from his body that obscures vision and slows movement. He also has superhuman strength and is capable of lifting and throwing incredibly heavy objects long distances. If he possesses any other abilities, they are not known.

[Blue Thunder]

***CHARACTER UPDATE***

Name - Clarion (David Hefflender)

Faction - Cult of Mal / Kabal

Updated Background - Clarion was allowed into the Pantheon in mid-2015 at the urging of the Apostle and Scripture, and was met with mixed reactions. Soon after, he led his Kabal in an attack against the newly formed Teen Tomorrow; the Kabal lost the battle and only Clarion managed to evade capture. He has managed to rescue three of his teammates, and plans on continuing his assaults against Teen Tomorrow. He is still as dedicated to Delorimier as he always has been.

**********

Name - Chase (Chase Elliot)

Faction - Primacy

Archetype - Undecided (First Stage)

Background - As a baseline, Chase Elliot was a private investigator working in Los Angeles. He erupted on the job; the cheating husband of a client noticed Chase photographing him and decided to take a few shots of his own...with a gun. Chase dodged the bullets, then responded with a few flame-charged pistol shots of his own, killing the husband. He reported to a Rashoud facility for treatment. After the initial training he set out on his own, sure he could make his own fortune.

Somewhere along the way he encountered Kitsune. The two immediately hit it off, and she introduced him to the Primacy. The similarity of their fire-based abilities and intense speed led to a close friendship. Whether or not the two are romantically linked is a mystery, but the two are often found fighting together. Chase assists Kitsune in her assaults against China; it is unclear if he does this out of affection for her or if he actually believes in her agenda.

Chase is a new Terat and Primacy nova, so has yet to prove himself. His effectiveness in combat has made him a promising Terat and many think he's a valuable addition.

Chase wears a large black trenchcoat and his brown hair is usually short and messy. He plays up the "mysterious and suave investigator" angle for all its worth.

Quantum Abilities - Chase's trademark ability is the power to charge bullets fired from his guns with additional energy. Bullets charged in this way explode with fire as they streak across the battlefield. Chase's skill with firearms has also been heightened to superhuman levels, and he has trained himself with almost every type of firearm imaginable.

Chase's body constantly gives off small flames as if he were on fire, and he is highly resistant to heat. These flames are generally harmless.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Hades

Faction - Cult of Mal (loosely affiliated with Radical Harvesters)

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - Hades joined the Teragen movement in late 2007 through the Cult of Mal. It is said that Hades had a small cult devoted to himself before he joined, and that it was the Apostle that showed him the way of Teras and converted him to the Cult of Mal. He is one of the more outspoken Terats within the cult and is devoted to the Apostle. He plans on eventually starting another baseline cult...this one devoted entirely to the worship of Divis Mal.

Hades' warped appearance serves as a sharp contrast to his fanatical faith in God and Divis Mal. He wears red robes over his body so as to not frighten other Terats. He prefers the sanctity and safety of the Cult of Mal's enclaves, and rarely ever ventures out into public. The only time he ever leaves the sanctity of a Cult of Mal enclave is when he assists other Terats with missions.

Given Hades' physical appearance and devotion to Mal, the Apostle considers him his best chance to convert Harvesters and other heavily-tainted Terats to the Cult of Mal. Plans are currently underway to create a new Cult of Mal enclave specifically for this purpose.

Quantum Abilities - Hades' touch is deadly. He can decay flesh, infect a target with diseases and sicknesses, and break down inorganic matter. He also possesses the ability to age a target dramatically, but he cannot reverse the effects. His body shows an incredible ability to survive in adverse conditions and he can breathe and survive underwater.

His body is also exceptionally warped from the baseline norm. His skin is covered in a dark red chitinous exoskeleton and his body's features strongly resemble those of a crustacean. His mouth has been replaced with a stubby beak and he has tiny holes for a nose and ears. He has no feet; his lower legs are longer than normal and look like those of a crab's, ending in points. The sides of his torso are lined with numerous, short, hook-like appendages that resemble those of a lobster.

**********

Name - Carapace (Benjamin Wright)

Faction - Radical Harvesters

Archetype - Monster (Second Stage)

Background - Benjamin Wright was a New Zealand geologist and mining consultant hired by Project Utopia for work in Mexico when he erupted. Part of the project to transform Mexico City, Benjamin's job was to scout out and organize new mining locations to help supply raw materials for skyscraper and road construction. The wall of a quarry he was inside of caved-in, killing seven workers and causing him to erupt.

As Carapace, his abilities made him an even more valuable asset to Utopia, but he found it hard to relate to baselines. After finishing work in Mexico City, he joined DeVries as an elite. He was on guard at the New York DeVries office when Battle-Cry and the Teragen Liberation Movement attacked. The resulting death of Battle-Cry and the rescue of his teammates convinced him to pursue the Teragen. After meeting with Count Orzaiz he joined the movement, and has since become one of Leviathan's most trusted allies, and one of the most feared Harvesters in combat.

Besides being a capable warrior for the Harvesters, Carapace is also an expert sculpter. Hidden somewhere within Mexico, he has dug out a cavern where he creates stunningly realistic and detailed statues of Terats and other novas. He has crafted several statues of Divis Mal which have been donated to the Cult of Mal.

Quantum Abilities - Carapace is protected by what can best be decribed as a turtle shell made of stone. This protective shell is massive, as is Carapace, and lined with protruding spikes made of hard rock. His entire body seems to be made of living stone and is extremely resistant to damage; he can wade through battlefields without much concern for harm, like a wrecking ball smashing through anything in its way. His punches can send other novas through walls and he can lift and toss incredibly heavy objects. He is considered to be one of the physically strongest Terats in the movement.

Carapace has limited control over stone and earth, letting him shape solid rock into whatever he desires. He uses this ability while sculpting.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Mudfish

Faction - Radical Harvesters

Archetype - Undecided (First Stage)

Background - Mudfish has only recently joined the movement as a Harvester and his origins aren't fully known. He was a fisherman in Indonesia prior to his eruption, and he joined the movement after approaching Carapace in Jakarta.

Mudfish has the maturity and sense of humor of a teenager. He uses his transformed appearance and quantum abilities to scare baselines as a form of petty amusement, and enjoys making fun of other Terats. He has a hard time taking anything too seriously, which is why he is never involved with serious decision making.

Mudfish revels in his newly erupted state. Novas like Caestus Pax and Totentanz erupted as gods among men; Mudfish erupted as a god among fish. There's nothing he can do to reverse his change, so why not enjoy what he has become? Some would point out that he's simply hiding his true emotions on the matter, and that he actually despises having erupted as something freakish.

Quantum Abilities - Mudfish can fire a powerful blast of water from his mouth. He can also swim at tremendous speeds, despite his girth, and has limited control over the minds and impulses of fish and similar aquatic life. His favorite power is his visible cloaking ability, which only functions underwater. If he concentrates hard enough, Mudfish can apply this cloaking against echolocation, water scent detection, and other forms of sensory detection commonly used by undersea creatures.

Mudfish looks like a round, scaled, aquatic human; aspects of his physiology are both fish-like and reptilian. He has tough, dark brown scales covering his body, gills along his neck and cheeks, two eyelids, webbed hands and feet, and small fins at his joints and back. He's also very heavy-set, with layers of blubber-like flesh underneath his skin; the extra layers have made him quite fat, with a large beer-gut and several chins, but they also increase his resilience against harm. His mouth is wide and lined with numerous tiny, sharp teeth. In between his scales are tiny barbed spikes, which he can relax or extend at will. His physiology allows him to survive extreme ocean depths for extended periods of time.

**********

Name - The Housefly (Ned Jones)

Faction - The Casablancas (loosely affiliated with Radical Harvesters)

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Ned Jones' eruption is supposedly so embarassing that he never speaks about it. He joined the movement through Sin-Eater in early 2015 after a visit to the Purity Clinic and has been a Casablanca ever since. He has made friendships with several Radical Harvesters, but shows no signs of leaving behind his current position under Orzaiz.

As the Housefly, Ned gathers intel for Orzaiz and Sin-Eater. He uses his quantum abilities to spy on the enemies of the movement and to gather information where others cannot. He's not the best intel-gatherer in the Casablancas, but he has his uses. Ned's dedication and his obsession with being useful to the movement means that Orzaiz values him, though he knows not to tell him too much information. It's only a matter of time before an amateur like Ned makes a mistake and gets caught, and Orzaiz wouldn't want him revealing any secrets.

Ned is terribly shy and paranoid, and often times assumes that everyone either hates him or is out to get him. This distrust serves him well during missions, where he cannot be seen by anyone. His mind also thinks too quickly, and his head tends to dart about as he mumbles incoherantly about his paranoid delusions. He usually operates at night, staying in the shadows and on rooftops where none can see him.

Within the movement, many have a hard time accepting the jittery Housefly. His appearance is comical and he is exceptionally awkward in social situations. If anyone can look beyond those traits, they'll find that Ned is a very simple guy that wants to be considered important and relevant, despite his lack of powerful abilities.

Quantum Abilities - The Housefly has a pair of tiny housefly wings emerging from his upper back. The wings themselves don't look like they should be able to support his overweight body, yet he can still fly. His eyes have been replaced by two giant, compound eyes and his mouth has been replaced by a short black proboscus like that of a housefly, giving his voice a deep, nasaly sound. He sustains himself on insects.

The Housefly can also cling to vertical surfaces, see through solid objects, hear sound frequencies baselines cannot, detect the details of smells, and can recieve and transmit radio waves. These abilities serve him well as an intelligence gatherer for the Casablancas.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Bridgett Caulder

Faction - Casablancas

Archetype - Portent (Second Stage)

Background - Bridgett Caulder was a homicide detective working for the NYPD. After investigating a particularly gruesome murder scene created by a nova, involving several fused-together bodies, she snapped. Utopia took over the case, but she refused to back down in investigating the homicide; She needed to know how a person, even a nova, could perform such an act. The desire to understand overwhelmed her. She lost her badge after refusing to let the case go and she investigated on her own. Tracking the clues led her to the Blackburn Hotel and Hector "Lash" Guzman. Guzman attacked Caulder, setting off her eruption. The Terats at the Blackburn took her in, and she eventually joined the Casablancas.

Caulder operates out of the Blackburn as a detective for the movement. She assists Terats with investigations if she has the time and desire to do so. While she isn't one to turn a Terat away, she simply doesn't always have the opportunity or capability to help everyone that comes through her door. It is rumored that she keeps detailed files on every Terat in the movement and secretly records their activities.

Caulder went through Chrysalis several years ago after rearranging her mind into that of a serial killer and murdering her parents. Her skin has hardened and turned a chalky white, and she has become emotionally cold. She thinks of baselines as lesser beings, and instead of trying to understand them, focuses on trying to understand herself and all of the novas around her.

Quantum Abilities - Bridgett Caulder is a telepath. She uses her abilities to better understand human behavior, both those of the baselines she despises and the novas she lives amongst. She can focus her telepathy into a mental attack or use it to defend herself against such assaults. She is also an incredible investigator, able to piece together clues and solve mysteries in ways that baselines cannot.

(For more on Bridgett Caulder, see Teragen, pg. 137)

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Příroda (Jakub Horák)

Faction - Cult of Mal / Kabal

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - Jakub was born in Moravia in the Czech Republic to moderately wealthy parents. When he was seven years old his parents moved to London and enlisted him into private schooling. By the time he had reached middle school Jakub was a trouble-maker and a bully; his way of coping with a new culture and new surroundings.

One day, the older brother of one of the students Jakub regularly harassed decided to teach him a lesson; he bloodied Jakub's nose and threatened to kill him if he ever touched his brother again. The anger at having been humiliated and beat-up was too much for him to handle and he erupted. Animated roots burst upward and pulled his attacker down. Jakub focused his anger, and the struggling teenager was pulled deep into the ground where he suffocated to death. The disappearance was never solved.

Jakub left home immediately and searched for others like himself, hoping to make sense of what he had become. Jakub came into the Cult of Mal after visiting Paris and encountering the Apostle. He joined the Kabal soon afterwards, taking on the name Příroda, a Czech word meaning 'nature'.

Jakub is an angry person, and he channels that anger towards destruction and death. He is also very much a sadistic nova, and enjoys seeing baselines suffer under the effects of his powers.

Quantum Abilities - Jakub can animate plant life and control dirt and soil. He can assume a 'dirtform' as well, which lets him travel underground.

**********

Name - Firefly

Allegiance - Team Tomorrow / Project Utopia (Non-Teragen)

Background - When William Turner was with Team Tomorrow he operated as a member of Team Tomorrow Auxiliary. Firefly was his commander whenever T2M-Aux was called into battle, and the two shared a healthy friendship. When Turner disappeared in Africa hunting down Flare, it was Firefly that invested more time into searching for him than any other T2M nova. Though close, the revelation of Turner switching sides to the Teragen was not something she was willing to forgive.

Quantum Abilities - Firefly can fly, emit glowing light, fire laser blasts, surround herself in a glowing quantum shield, and project her senses outward via ESP.

(For more on Firefly, see Utopia, page 133.)

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Legion (Lachlan Wilson)

Faction - Cult of Mal

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Lachlan Wilson is from Melbourne, Australia. He joined the Teragen in late 2013 via Narcosis, and soon afterwards joined the Cult of Mal. He acts as security at various Cult of Mal enclaves, but not much is known about his past or motivations.

His quantum abilities let him split into multiple duplicates of himself. This makes him ideal for security, since he can guard an entire location by himself. He's also been observed using his duplication power to do more than guard; it's not uncommon to see two or more of his duplicates reading in a library or visiting OpNet sites at the same time.

It is rumored that some of his duplicates are beginning to develop divergent personalities of their own, and that Lachlan has difficulty controlling them. He sometimes treats his duplicates like children or students, to the extent of lecturing them and even scolding them for their behavior.

Quantum Abilities - Lachlan can duplicate himself, becoming Legion. No one can confirm the maximum amount of duplicates he can create, but the number is typically kept at a half dozen or so. These duplicates do not share a mental link with Lachlan, but when they merge back with him they bring whatever experiences they had while apart from him.

Additionally, each duplicate has been observed to have a strong emotional trait that seperates them from the others; for example, one may be aggressive while another is depressed and another is optimistic. While these duplicates exist, Lachlan becomes unemotional. It's as if these emotions leave him to become part of his duplicates.

Lachlan is superhumanly intelligent and capable of incredible mental multitasking. He can alter the cosmetic features of his body at will, and does so whenever creating new duplicates so they each look slightly different. He has trained in firearms and martial arts as part of his duties to the Cult of Mal.

**********

Name - Joff Rasmussen

Faction - Cult of Mal

Archetype - Marvel (Second Stage)

Background - Joff Rasmussen, a successful and rich American surgeon, was vacationing in northern China and Mongolia when he started to hear voices. They whispered to him in a sound no one else could hear, and they told him to do things that were suicidal. On the first day, they suggested he wander into oncoming traffic, and he was almost hit by a bus. On the second day, they asked him to take a razor to his neck in his hotel room, and he was just barely able to stop the blade before it caused serious damage. And on the third day, they told him to leap from a rooftop, and he would have done so if someone else didn't pull him to safety.

Convinced that he was cursed or that he was in need of serious medication and treatment, Joff decided to leave early for America. But the voices taunted him and compeled him to stay. They had him steal a car and drive away from the city, away from civilization where others could save him. When the car was no longer an option, he set out on foot, still commanded by the voices he could only barely resist. He wandered into the Gobi Desert, and the voices became louder; they urged him deeper into the sandy regions, where water and shade were not available. The sun beat down upon him, the thirst was unbearable, and he eventually collapsed.

But instead of dying, he changed. Water poured from his body and swirled around him, and all of the heat disappeared from his body. It was apparant to him that he was a nova, and that he had become an entirely different kind of being. He wandered the desert for a week, slowly becoming adapted to his new abilities. He encountered nomads who took him back to civilization and he made his way back to America. And most importantly of all, the voices had stopped.

Joff was employed by Project Utopia for disaster relief to droughted regions. He eventually tired of their controlling attitude and decided to embark on his own journey. Convinced that he would have another experience like his eruption, he wandered the world in search of the voices again. He heard rumors that the Teragen could undergo eruption-like transformations, and was drawn into the movement in early 2007 after meeting with Sin-Eater. The Apostle took him in and made him an intitiate of the Cult of Mal.

Joff's eruption is one of the longest ever recorded. He started his eruption before he even arrived in China, but the effects were extremely minimal and his mind was refusing to allow the eruption to come to full fruition. He realized after coming to the Teragen that the voices in his mind were those of his new nova self, trying to convince his old baseline self to take the final steps to complete his transformation.

Joff went through Chrysalis in 2011 under the guidance and protection of the Apostle, in the form of a floating, shimmering ball of water. He claims that new voices spoke to him just prior to his Chrysalis, slowly urging him to surrender himself like his previous voice had done to his baseline self. He's sees Chrysalis as transcending and becoming a new being.

Within the Cult of Mal, Joff is not a mere worshiper or initiate anymore. He sometimes leads services in the Apostle's or Scripture's absence. He also travels to remote villages and performs water-related "miracles" as part of his campaign to spread Mal-worship to baselines. He is revered as a divine being in several villages throughout Mongolia, China, and Central Asia.

Quantum Abilities - Joff can create and manipulate water. The most common usage of this ability is the mass creation of water for purposes of hydrating dry lands and providing drinking water for thirsty villagers. For dramatic effect, he holds his hands out to his sides, palms up, and water pours downwards. He can also survive without need for drinking or eating.

After his Chrysalis, Joff emerged with more control over his abilities. He can now hover off the ground and his appearance has become noticebly more attractive. His skin also ripples slowly, like small waves travelling across an open ocean, and his body is constantly surrounded by trails of water droplets. The effects of his Chrysalis appear very similar to what the Apostle gained from his second Chrysalis; the comparison isn't lost on other Terats.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Edge (Rajesh Jayaraman)

Faction - Cult of Mal / Kabal

Archetype - Monster

Background - Rajesh Jayaraman is an Indian-American from Orlando, Florida. He erupted as a young teenager during an automobile accident; a semi-truck was going too quickly around a turn and fell over onto his family's van. Crawling out of the wreckage and seeing his dead family, Rajesh used his new abilities to kill the truck driver and then fled into the nearby forest, confused.

He spent the next months adapting to his new abilities, but making sure no one discovered him. He avoided Utopia and their Rashoud facilities and decided to seek out other independant novas like himself. He travelled north towards Atlanta and there he met Clarion. Clarion's charisma and persuasiveness were too much for him to resist and Rajesh became his first follower. He helped Clarion gather more young novas, and the group eventually joined the Teragen under the guidance of the Apostle.

As Edge, Rajesh is ruthless in combat, never hesitant to kill. Clarion considers him his personal bodyguard, and Rajesh is more than happy to protect his leader. It is a widely-known "secret" that Rajesh is affectionate towards Clarion, though whether Clarion feels anything in return is unknown.

Quantum Abilities - Edge can increase his density. When he does, bullets spark and ricochet when they strike him, and he gains superhuman strength. He can also shape his fingers into extremely sharp blades which, when bolstered by his increased density, make him a killing machine in melee combat. His skin has taken on a dark gray shade and his eyes lack pupils.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Paolo Salvador

Faction - Cult of Mal / Four Horsemen

Archetype - Monster (First Stage)

Background - Paolo Salvador has been one of the Four Horsemen since Joff Rasmussen discovered him in Montevideo, Uraguay in 2009 and he was introduced to the Apostle. His eyelids are gone, and the skin surrounding his eyes is said to be completely burnt away. His eyes glow a dark orange when using his powers, though this can't be seen under his mask.

Quantum Abilities - Paolo Salvador can fire bolts of crackling energy from his eyes. These bolts are powerful enough to sever the molecular bonds holding even the most solid of objects together. He can also surround himself in a force field. It is rumored he has other optic-based abilities, but none are widely known.

**********

Name - Doctor Anh Sáng Sao (Trang Xuan Tu)

Faction - Casablancas / CORE

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Trang Xuan Tu was a CORE engineer prior to his eruption, and joined the Casablancas afterwards at the Mathematician's urging. His nova name, Doctor Anh Sáng Sao, translates to Doctor Starlight in English. He still retains a position within CORE International, though it is a secret one like with all of the corporation's Terat employees. He studies primarily in the field of genetic engineering.

Doctor Anh Sáng Sao is rarely heard from. He is slightly egotistical and sees those of lesser intelligence as inferior. He has recently dropped off the movement's radar while he focuses on research for CORE in private.

Quantum Abilities - In addition to a superhuman intellect, Doctor Anh Sáng Sao has glowing blue skin, superhuman visual capabilities, and powers over light.

(For more on Doctor Anh Sáng Sao, see A Breed Apart, pg. 62.)

**********

Name - Gauze (Binh Nguyen)

Faction - Nova Vigilance

Archetype - Marvel (Second Stage)

Background - Binh Nguyen, better known as Gauze, is one of the more publically-known Terats. She joined the movement in it's early days and was one of the first to side with Geryon and fight as part of Nova Vigilance. Her abilities have served her teammates well, and many owe her their lives.

Gauze underwent Chrysalis in late 2008. She emerged from a cocoon of glowing fibers with even more control over her already potent abilities, as well as the ability to fly and a heightened resistance to pain.

Quantum Abilities - Guaze's quantum abilities manifest as snake-like strands of green energy that flow around her body as if they are alive. These "energy ribbons" can be pulled close to cover Gauze's body like her namesake, to form a protective layer. They can also be used offensively to assault enemies; Gauze can shower an area with damaging energy or impale an enemy with a beam of green light. Her energy ribbons are powerful enough to slice through steel. Objects and people attacked with Gauze's energy ribbons are left with perfect, clean slices through them...some of her more unfortunate enemies have literally been sliced to pieces.

Gauze can also fly, and has a high resilience to pain. She has been known to regenerate injuries in seconds.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Abdul Masiq

Faction - Companions / Allah's Legion

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Like many Companions, the details of Abdul Masiq's life are largely unknown to those outside of the isolated faction. He hails from Mosul in Iraq and leads a small group of Companions known as Allah's Legion that openly claim their superiority to baselines. He has made contact with various Primacy Terats, but focuses his attention on his homeland. It is said that a former friend was sent off to the Bahrain Rashoud facility, which is what led him to join with Tarik ibn'Mahmoud.

Abdul wishes to make the Islamic community more accepting of nova divinity, and isn't afraid to assassinate any prominent Muslim leaders that speak out against nova superiority. His name has become somewhat (in)famous in the Middle Eastern world, and he's already had to fend off several DeVries and Janissaries elites that were paid to take him out. He's wanted in Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Libya, and throughout the splintered lands of former Saudi Arabia.

Quantum Abilities - Abdul Masiq is incredibly persuasive and influentual, able to awe novas and baselines alike. His words go directly into the core of a person's being and ring true. His powers of persuasion have saved himself and his allies countless times; few enemies can find the willpower to assault him in person.

He is also able to manipulate momentum and speed in both himself and others. He can stop a falling object in place, run at incredible speeds, make a bullet change trajectory, increase a breeze into a gale, and transfer the momentum of a moving object into a non-moving object.

[Blue Thunder]

CHAPTER 2

(From this point onward, new character bios begin at Chapter 2 in the story.)

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Shakti

Faction - None (Non-Teragen)

Archetype - Portent (Third Stage)

Background - Shakti's origins are a great mystery. She is an Indian nova who worked alongside Divis Mal before he came to the Teragen, suggesting that she erupted soon after the Galatea explosion. Some suggest she erupted earlier.

Shakti and Scripture both represented a more spiritual side to novas, but Shakti's Hindu beliefs did not mesh with Scripture's Judeo-Christian views, which caused endless religious debates. Shortly after the Apostle's Chrysalis, Shakti quietly left the Teragen. Word soon spread of a disagreement between Shakti and the Apostle.

Shakti has since set up a temple in India, though only a few Pantheon novas know of her exact location and few ever try to contact her. She does her best to avoid national or global attention and uses her abilities to aid her region's people. She is generally helpful and friendly with those novas that enter her temple, but does not permit baselines within her private chamber. To Shakti, any nova is welcome as long as they do not offend the sanctity of her temple.

Shakti left the Teragen movement, but still carries its philosophy with her. To Shakti, baselines depend on novas to survive, and it is the duty of novas to be there for their followers. But unlike Utopia, Shakti does not believe that baselines should be the ones determining how novas help the world...it should be novas, the new divine beings, who decide how the baseline world should be and how to help it. Baselines are lost and confused, in need of novas to protect and guide them. Utopia exists to control novas and restrain their divinity out of baseline fear; it must be destroyed if novas are to become the new gods.

Shakti was one of the first Terats to undergo Chrysalis, doing so under the tutelage of the Mathematician. She underwent a second Chrysalis after leaving the movement.

Quantum Abilities - Shakti's range of quantum abilities is great. Her intelligence and wisdom are at a level few novas ever reach. She can manipulate weather patterns over a large area, and this is her most spectacular ability as far as her followers are concerned. She can bring rains or sunlight as needed, and can even lower and raise temperatures in a wide area. Her control over winds can even allow her to lift herself and fly. She can also control, animate, and alter plant life at will, helping crops grow faster and creating strange and colorful flowers to surround her temple with.

Shakti has six arms which move of their own accord; her mind has only partial control over her arms when she isn't immediately using them. Her skin has taken on a blue-green color and gives off a bright blue aura. Her body is surrounded by a weak breeze which swirls around her at all times, blowing her clothing slightly and causing small objects to orbit around her. The mere sight of her goddess-like body has inspired worship from many a baseline. Some find looking directly at her to be painful.

Though she prefers peaceful ends to situations, Shakti won't hesitate to kill when it comes to protecting her people. She can ignite a rippling energy field around her body which is absolutely deadly to both baselines and novas. When this field is active, she can shear through enemies with the chop of an arm. Few that have threatened Shakti physically have ever survived.

**********

Name - Rattler (Maria Cabral)

Faction - Cult of Mal / Zapatista Revolutionary Movement

Archetype - Marvel (First Stage)

Background - Maria Cabral was born and raised in the city of Veracruz, Mexico. She erupted in 2004 during an anti-Utopia protest that had been initiated by the Feathered Serpent and his Zapatista Revolutionary Movement. Hearing the Serpent's speech, Maria's own eruption was triggered and she was immediately taken in by the ZRM, and eventually by the Primacy. Taking the nova name Rattler, Maria travelled across southern and central Mexico with the Serpent, helping the movement gather support and holding pro-Teragen rallies.

Rattler began to suspect that the Apostle was sending Project Utopia information on the Zapatista Revolutionary Movement in order to slow it's progress. In early 2008, Rattler attempted to infiltrate the Cult of Mal to stop him, but underestimated the Apostle's awesome power. Within a month she left the Primacy and joined the cult. Since then, Feathered Serpent has allowed her to continue within the ranks of the ZRM, though he looks down upon her refusal to accept a more Aztec spirituality.

Rattler still participates in pro-Teragen and anti-Utopian demonstrations. More than any other Terat, Rattler has helped spread the philosophy of nova supremacy to the people of Central America. Project Utopia has her labeled as a primary threat in the American theatre, but has yet to capture her for fear of the reaction it will cause among thousands of loyal peasants.

Quantum Abilities - Rattler's abilities fall into the category of "supernormal" She is gorgeous, athletic, intelligent, and socially adept to the degree baselines cannot hope to match. Her particular strong point is her mere presence...Rattler can give rousing speeches that resonate in the minds of listeners. Her control over this ability is so great that she can inspire angry mobs into peace, and convert protesters into supporters.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - Muhyee

Faction - Companions / Allah's Legion

Archetype - None (First Stage)

Background - Muhyee fights alongside Abdul Masiq as his bodyguard and closest friend. Not much is known about him since he allows Abdul to gather all of the attention, and he stays well clear of most non-Companion Terats. It is suspected by Count Orzaiz that Muhyee has been hired through Janissaries to keep a close watch on the activities of Allah's Legion for an unknown client.

Quantum Abilities - Muhyee can heal the injuries of others and fly at supersonic speeds. Any other abilities are unknown.

**********

Name - Al-Batin

Faction - Companions (loosely affiliated with the Casablancas)

Archetype - Portent (First Stage)

Background - Al-Batin operates out of Muscat, Oman as an informant and investigator. He assists the Teragen with information gathering throughout the Sinai peninsula, but reports all of his findings directly to Tarik ibn'Mahmoud first, who chooses which pieces of information find their way to the rest of the movement.

Al-Batin has recently made a partnership with Count Orzaiz, one which Tarik is unaware of. In return for some of the information that Tarik chooses to keep hidden, Orzaiz has agreed to let Al-Batin fall under the umbrella of the Casablancas, should both of the factions come to war.

Quantum Abilities - Al-Batin can assume the form of another person and even alter his quantum signature so others fail to notice him in a crowd. He is an accomplished impersonator and actor, which allows him to better assume the forms of others. He is also capable of detecting lies. Any other abilities are unknown.

[Blue Thunder]

Name - The Tower

Faction - Independant Terat / CORE

Archetype - Portent (Second Stage)

Background - The nova known as the Tower came to the Teragen alongside Divis Mal and Scripture. He has quietly served the movement through CORE International as a capable researcher ever since. He stays isolated from others in a private research facility in Taiwan, only communicating via electronics (though even these communications are rare). The only living beings within his laboratory are those he uses as research specimens. His background, including eruption and ethnicity, are unknown, even to Scripture and the Mathematician.

The Tower's research focuses on the brain and the M-R node. He hopes to develop a method of communication that will allow him to view the language of existence, which he thinks even Divis Mal cannot properly comprehend. He also pursues another experiment that he hopes will allow him to create a new consciousness. He uses unfortunate baselines as fodder for his pursuits. None survive.

The Tower is very much inhuman. His Taint levels are fairly high, and he has shown sociopathic behavior. He does not consider himself to be alive in the regard that baselines and other novas are, but rather as a collection of thoughtwaves that have been trapped in a material body. Since he doesn't consider himself to be remotely like other beings, he has a difficult time grasping why living creatures, including most novas, should be considered important to him.

The Tower would argue that a dog is no more relevant than a cup of water and that a nova is more more relevant than a rock...at the base of things, they are all collections of molecules. He would also point out how even the Earth could be considered a living being, and that baselines and novas themselves are nothing more than collections of other, smaller, living beings. To the Tower, the line between life and non-life is moot, only defined so that baselines can feel more comfortable about existence. Only an enhanced nova consciousnesses can be considered anywhere near "alive", and the Tower hopes to use Chrysalis to break free of his material body and become pure consciousness. And after doing so, he shall merge with the cosmos.

Most Terats have forgotten about the Tower, and few consider him a threat to their power. Though he joined with Divis Mal, he quickly faded into the background and failed to connect with anyone besides the Mathematician, and he never became involved with the Pantheon. The Mathematician allows the Tower's research at CORE to continue, because he feels that something useful shall eventually come of it. It's also possible that he wishes to keep tabs on the Tower's progress, in case his mind becomes so unstable that he must be eliminated.

Quantum Abilities - The Tower has exceptional intelligence, but also suffers from severe mental aberrations. He no longer possesses the ability to speak and he has extreme difficulty communicating with anyone, even other Terats. His mind is so alien that he cannot contact or be contacted via telepathy. When he does communicate, he does so with mathematical codes and patterns, which only another hyper-intelligent nova could comprehend.

The Tower is as black as the void of space, but his body is nothing more than a shell for his consciousness. Within, there are no biological systems, nor any flesh. Underneath the strong, thick outer shell is pure quantum energy, which can be dangerous to bystanders if his shell is somehow split open. His skull is completely gone; a mass of white energy that was once his brain and M-R node now reside there, floating behind his face. His facial features never change and his body rarely moves from a single position, since the Tower performs most of his experiments remotely. He has been compared to a statue. As a side effect, the Tower does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.

The Tower's extensive knowledge of consciousnesses has given him the ability to alter the minds of those around him. Though he cannot communicate with telepathy, he can alter a target's mind as if it were clay, shaping a baseline or nova into whatever he chooses and forcing them to perform actions they do not wish to do. Things like emotions and memories are easily altered. He has developed several other potent abilities as well; he can project his consciousness to sense other locations, he can telekinetically manipulate his surroundings, and he can alter the chemical compositions of matter.