Zoids: The Post-War [OOC/Not Started/Accepting/R-16]

[BANZAI!!!!]

Theme: In My Dream

 

 

~A Zai Mecha Rp~

 

~Logo By: Yui~

 

 

[spoiler=Intro]TAKE TWO MOFAKAS! THREE! I MEAN TAKE THREE![spoiler=What is Zoids: The Post-War?]Why, a Zoids RP of course! But I guess you figured that out already...
Zoids (the proverbial Pepsi to Gundam's coke, or maybe more like RC cola these days) has always been a favorite of mine. I grew up watching the anime, and I even wasted money on some of the model kits. Plain and simply, I love Zoids, and this RP is an attempt to pay homage to the franchise, while at the same time also telling a good action/adventure story in one of the most original settings in fiction.

 

Now, I know that most of you are probably not at all familiar with zoids unless you're of a certain age and happened to watch a lot of cartoon network circa 2002, but don't worry! You need to know nothing about the franchise to participate in this rp, and I'll be here and on discord to help everyone get up to speed, be it designing characters, introducing you to the setting, or picking out a zoid (I even do sprites for custom equipment and paint jobs and such!). Now, without further adieu, here's what the hell is going on!

Z:PW takes place in a continuity similar to the one portrayed in the original Zoids model kits (usually called the Battle Story), with a little bit of influence, some locations, and plot elements from the first anime series: Chaotic Century (AKA one of the two anime series anyone on YCM is likely to have seen). Its been over 10 years since the war on the western continent of Europa ended. Though the world has witnessed great changes in that time, Europa has remained largely the same. The scars of the war, physical and psychological, are still fresh, and the people remain as rugged and independent as always. However, with the ultimate end to the ongoing conflict between the Helic Republic and the Neo-Zenebas empire behind them, things are finally beginning to change.

[spoiler=Rules and Info]First and foremost, all YCM and RP section rules apply. Other than the obvious, the host's word is law here. Duh.

 

Z:PW is structured similarly to an adventure novel. The plot will unfold episodically, with each chapter being denoted by a title card, while the overarching story will advance as the RP does. Like many of my other RPs, I will be running a discord server for participants of Z:PW. Anyone wishing to join the RP is strongly advised to join the server, and and I'll be happy to share the link on request.

 

[spoiler=Setting][spoiler=Planet Zi]Z:PW, like most Zoids stories, takes place on the Planet Zi. Situated exactly opposite the planet Earth on the other side of the Milky Way, Zi is in many ways very similar to our ancestral home. Like Earth, it has a livable climate, as well as native life forms, oceans and continents. However, Zi can be a harsh place. As it is much closer to its Sun, Zi's climate is a great deal hotter and dryer than that of earth, with a large portion of the planet's landmass covered in sandy desert and rocky outcrops. Since the arrival of humanity on Zi thousands of years ago, forests, grassy plains and even jungles have begun to appear, having grown thanks to plants and animals the human colonists brought with them.

Though the Zi of today resembles earth, and is home to both humans and animals found on our home planet, it is also home to its own native species: A nearly identical species of humans known as Zoidians, and their robotic animal companions, the Zoic Androids. Zoic Androids (almost always referred to as Zoids, for short) are giant, technorganic life forms that resemble animals found on earth. Given life thanks to Zi's immensely strong magnetic field, Zoids once roamed free millennia ago, but since then have been largely domesticated, modified, and weaponized by both Zi's native Zoidians, as well as the later human colonists. Though intelligent, and sometimes even self-aware, the Zoids of today are largely man-made, and used as the main weapons of war on planet Zi.
Zi has six continents.

[spoiler=Delpoi]The Central Continent, Delpoi, is the largest, and has traditionally been the seat of power on Zi. It is currently home to both the Helic Republic, which controls the southeastern half of the continent, and the Neo-Zenebas Empire, which controls the northwestern half. Like the rest of Zi, Delpoi is dominated mainly by deserts, though two prominent mountain ranges, one in the east, and one bisecting the continent in the center, exist. Thanks to an overabundance of underground fresh water, life on Delpoi is considerably easier than on most of Zi's other continents, and as a result is home to the largest population and the most advanced cities on Zi.

[spoiler=Adelle]To Delpoi's south is the smallest continent: the Southern Continent Adelle. Until recently, Adelle was uninhabited, save for its native wild zoid population, but since the end of the war it has become neutral territory and a venue for negotiations between the Republic and Neo-Zenebas Empire. Its tropical climate and unspoiled natural beauty have also made it's only major city, Lefrae Beach, a popular vacation destination.

[spoiler=Sandor]Two continents lay to the north of Delpoi. Far to the northeast is the uninhabited northern continent, Sandor. One of the few places on Zi covered in ice and snow year round, its harsh mountainous terrain, far off location, and lack of resources mean it is largely ignored.

[spoiler=Nyx]Directly north of Delpoi, across the most treacherous ocean on Zi, is the Dark Continent, Nyx. A land of volcanic ash, magnetic storms, and frozen wastes, Nyx is the most inhospitable locale on Zi. Once home to the brutal totalitarian Guylos empire, nowadays Nyx is generally ignored by the rest of the world, save for a few scattered settlements and Republican or Neo-Zenebas imperial installations. Nyx is also known to contain ruins belonging to the now-extinct ancient Zoidian race, as well as what's left of many Guylos cities and bases, now abandoned after the empire's collapse.

[spoiler=Loramere]To Delpoi's east and Sandor's south is Loramere, the Eastern Continent. A land of gentle hills and rolling plains, Loramere has always been a peaceful, pleasant place, and thanks to its countless wheat farms, is often referred to as the "Bread Basket" of Zi. Loramere is also home to the Zoitec Corportation, the largest independent weapons manufacturer on the planet. Zoitec's claim to fame is its BLOX technology, which allows zoids to combine with one another in battle. Though Loramere's people firmly maintain their independence and neutrality, Loramere is also known for being extremely welcoming of outsiders, having played host to the Helic Republic-in exile during the war as well as the remnants of the Guylos empire that managed to leave Nyx.

[spoiler=Europa]Last, but by no means least, is the primary setting of the RP: The Western Continent Europa. The second largest continent, Europa sits comfortably across the sea from Delpoi, the calm oceans and the two continents' close proximity to one another making passage between them fast and easy. Like Delpoi, Europa is dominated by deserts, save for its northeast which is covered in dense forest and towered over by Mt. Olympus, the largest mountain on Zi. Unlike Delpoi, groundwater is much more scarce on Europa, with the inhabitants instead being more reliant on fresh water from Windeen Lake and the Red River, which runs from Europa's northeast all the way to the western side of the continent, and forms a sort of natural border between the imperial and republican aligned sides of the continent.

Europa's central and southern regions are dominated by a vast, harsh desert, within which lies the treacherous Iselina mountain range. Aside from a few scattered villages, as well as the towns of Wind and Sand Colony, this region is largely uninhabited, and is instead littered with ruins and remains from the war, constantly being buried and unearthed by the shifting sands. Due to the harsh terrain and difficulty in crossing the desert, Europa's south is for the most part unexplored.

Europa was once the seat of power for the ancient Zoidian civilization, and as such is home to innumerable ruins and examples of Zoidian high technology. Its strategic location (being in close proximity to Delpoi and representing a much less hazardous crossing from Nyx) as well as these ruins made it a prime staging ground for the Guylos Empire's invasion of the Helic republic. The resulting war, known as the Western Continent War, was waged all across the northern half of Europa. Europa's native population, though ostensibly independent, tends to align with one or the other of Zi's two superpowers. Rugged and self sufficient, Europans are a tough, resourceful bunch, often eking a living out of Europa's barren lands and scavenging what leftovers they can from the war and zoidian ruins.

Though independant, Europa is home to two major powers, and innumerable smaller ones. In the east, centered around New Helic City, are the Helic Republic's europan territories. Though not claimed outright by the republic, this territory, which includes Mt. Olympus and much of the eastern forests, tends to be dominated by republican military patrols, and the republic can often be found assisting the local population. To the Northwest is the imperial sphere. Formerly held by the Guylos empire, the city of Guygalos and the surrounding territories have recently been annexed by the Neo-Zenebas empire. Despite the presence of these factions though, the sheer size of the continent and lack of available resources means that the vast majority of Europan territory is lawless frontier. Bandits and scavenger parties are common, and the people often must keep the peace themselves.

 

[spoiler=History][spoiler= The Beginning, The Republic, and the Empire]Zi's history is long and complex; dominated by warfare. Even before the arrival of humans on Zi, the ancient Zoidian race and the Zoids themselves lived lives of constant conflict, be it for sport or spoils of war. The coming of humanity changed little, with human colonists fighting amongst themselves in tribal warfare on Nyx and Delpoi for centuries. It wasn't until Zi Adjusted Calendar (ZAC) 1600, with the founding of the Helionic Kingdom on Delpoi, that those living on Zi began to unify. Even then, it wasn't until the invasion of Delpoi by tribesmen from Nyx that civilization finally came to Zi with the founding of the Helic Republic by King Helic Muroa in ZAC 1955.

This period of stability would not last long, however. Helic's sons, President Helic Muroa II and commander in chief Zenebas Muroa, quarreled constantly over Republican war policies, with Zenebas favoring aggressive military buildup and an invasion of Nyx. Ultimately these arguments turned bloody, with Zenebas and his supporters making their way to the western half of Delpoi and founding the Zenebas empire in ZAC 1988. What followed was roughly 30 years of low intensity war between the two nations, which saw the first use of man-made zoids in combat. War would continue uninterrupted until the last of the human colony ships, the Globally 3, crash landed in the middle of Delpoi.

[spoiler= The Devil's War]Both sides absorbed survivors into their fold, and using advanced Earth technology began to produce ever deadlier and more advanced zoids. This arms race quickly sparked war once again, this time with much greater intensity. What came to be known as The Devil's War would last for over two decades, with heavy casualties on both sides of the conflict. The war would see the Zenebas Empire expelled from Delpoi, only for them to return thanks to assistance from the brutal, totalitarian Guylos Empire from Nyx. With an entire army of newly designed zoids, including the terrifying Death Saurer, the Helic Republic in turn would be nearly defeated. Only thanks to deploying their own new Zoids was the Repiblic able to again defeat the Zenebas empire. Ultimately, the Guylos Empire would use the turmoil on Delpoi to its advantage, attacking the continent themselves and absorbing the Zenebas empire into itself.

Fighting between the Guylos Empire and the Republic did nothing but intensify, with the dark zoids used by the empire wreaking untold environmental devastation on Delpoi. The tide would shift many times, with both sides deploying some of the most powerful weapons in Zi's history against one another. However, the nearly 70 years of war on Zi would finally come to an end in ZAC 2056 when an asteroid struck and destroyed one of Zi's three moons, raining debris down across the planet and killing millions on the eve of the final battle.

[spoiler=Interbellum]Both sides were unable to wage war for decades after the meteor disaster. Parts of Nyx sank into the ocean, and Delpoi as a whole was devastated. Worse still, the ocean between both continents , which had always been treacherous, became nearly impassable and plagued by endless magnetic storms. In the interim, Elena Muroa, daughter of Zenebas, became president of the Helic Republic under the alias of Louise Camford, and Gunther Prozen, Zenebas's illegitimate son became Guylos regent, ruling in the then-10 year old prince's stead. Secretly, Prozen desired to rebuild his father's empire, and set about making plans to destroy both the Guylos Empire and the Republic.

With the sea to Deploi impassable, Prozen set about invading Europa, both to give his forces experience fighting the native populace and the few local republican forces, as well as to use the continent as a staging area for an invasion of Delpoi. Thus, in ZAC 2098, the Western Continent War began.

[spoiler=The Western Continent War and the War on Nyx]At first, the empire held the overwhelming advantage, using new, organoid system-equipped zoids to route the republic's forces and drive them into the forests in Europa's northeast. Only when the republic responded with new zoids of their own did the tide turn. Despite the Empire's best efforts, including even more new Zoids, the Republic ultimately came out the victor, pushing the Empire off of Europa and following them to Nyx, leaving Europa mostly abandoned.

The invasion of Nyx would last another 4 years, with the vast armies of the republic launching an attack on the guylos capital itself in ZAC 2104. However, this was all according to Prozen's plan. During the battle, he and his personal Zenebas-loyalist forces attacked both sides. Though they were defeated, Prozen himself detonated his zoid, destroying the armies of both sides as well as the entire city. The Guylos Empire was no more.

[spoiler=Neo Zenebas, the Central Continent War, and Peace]In the aftermath, Prozen's son, Wolff Muroa, took advantage of the republic's weakened state and established the Neo Zenebas Empire on Delpoi. The war continued, this time with the republic's defeat. Exiled to Loramere, President Camford's son, President Rob Herrman, allied the remnants of the republic with the Zoitec corporation, as well as Guylos remnants on Loramere, and launched a counterattack on Delpoi. It wasn't until ZAC 2110 that the war finally came to a close with the signing of an armistice between the two war-weary nations.

In the two years since, Zi has entered into an era of uneasy peace. There are still many belligerents on both sides, and despite President Herrman and Emperor Muroa's commitment to cooperation, the situation remains uneasy. A particularly troubling issue is control of Europa, with both nations having returned to their spheres of influence on the lawless continent.

 

 

[spoiler=Plot]Red River: a fledgling town situated on the old Helic/Guylos border. Built out from the remnants of an old republican army base, its location on the banks of the eponymous Red River gives it access to a ready supply of fresh water, quite the commodity on Europa. Red River is a scavenger town, composed mostly of those who make a living picking the nearby battlefields and ruins clean. The old base has become a kind of communal Zoid parking lot and maintenance facility, with the town charging residents and travelers alike to store and look after their Zoids there. The base is highly secure for an independent settlement, with Red River's local militia stationed there on guard duty when not on patrol. The town has grown quite rapidly over the past 10 years since its founding, and though it is still rather small, its on its way to becoming a power in the wastelands.

For one reason or another, you find yourself in Red River in the aftermath of a particularly destructive raid on the town. A band of marauders, mysteriously far more skilled and better equipped than your average gang of bandits, struck just as the most prolific of the local scavengers, Jarro Waller, returned to Red River with what he described as "The haul of the century". Though Red River's militia engaged the raiders, their salvaged Zoids proved innefective when confronted by the enemy's Helcats and Shadow Foxes, backed by an unidentified Zoid with superb electronic warfare capabilities. Losses were heavy, with the raiders making off with Waller's entire haul, the supplies of several other scavengers, and destroying or severely damaging most of the Militia's as well as several local Zoids. Casualties even included Finn: The Militia's Gordos and Red River's largest, most heavily armed Zoid. Though Finn survived, the Zoid is in severe condition, and without it Red River may not be able to fend off a second raid.

An ex Guylos soldier, Jarro Waller is making preparations to hunt down the raiders and regain his loot. Of course, alone his Molga isn't up to the task, so he's offered to pay any pilots willing to accompany him in the recovery operation. At the same time, the Militia, eager to get their heavy hitter back in working order, is offering a reward to anyone who can procure a sufficient quantity of Zoid Magnite: a cobalt colored volcanic rock with incredibly strong curative properties for zoids. Of course, it's difficult to come by, with the nearest known source being Mt. Ohsa in republican territory. The trek to the mountain is long, and its possible that the Republic may not be very tolerant of scavengers making their way past the military base built into the side of the dormant volcano.

[spoiler=Reference]The space for me to put information on importat terms, people, and locations, as well as a little spoiler to keep everyone updated on what's going on in the rp, if need be. Currently its blank, but I'll add things on request or necessity.

[spoiler=Application Templates]Ideally, I'm looking for 3 or 4 other participants, but if this gets more interest than I think it will, I'm not opposed to a larger cast.[spoiler=Character app]Name
Gender:
Age:
Nationality: (Helic, Guylos, Zenebas, Europan)
[spoiler=Appearance]4 lines minimum. Definitley include an image if you can find one.

[spoiler=Personality]6 lines minimum

[spoiler=Background]no minimum. Describe as little or as much as you want about your character's past. The more you give me, the more i can work into the plot, however

Zoid: (Name and species)
[spoiler=Misc.]anything that doesn't fit in the above that you wish to include.

 

[spoiler=Zoid app]Name:
Species: ( A List of Zoid species can be found here. Some of them will not allowed in the RP due to power level or continuity conflicts, but this can be worked through on an app by app basis)
[spoiler=image]I will provide customized and recolored sprites of zoids on request. If the zoid is a stock model, an image from the internet will suffice.

[spoiler=Description]The Zoid's history, personality quirks, etc goes here. No minimum but try to be as detailed as possible

[spoiler=Weapons and equipment]List and/or describe the zoid's weapons and equipment here. I'm also more than willing to help with this too.

 

 

 

 

[Asriel Dreemurr]

As per usual.

[BANZAI!!!!]

 

 

[spoiler=August WIP]Name: His Royal Highness, Fourth Prince of the Neo-Zenebas Empire, August Richard Von Brandt August Krautzewitz

Gender: Male

Age: 18

Nationality: Zenebas

[spoiler=Appearance]

August looks young for his age, with most mistaking him for a younger teen of 14 or 15. He's lean, standing at 5' 9" with boyish features and big, icy blue eyes. Like most of the extended Zenebas royal family, August has light blonde hair, which is naturally wild looking and spiky (though he keeps it relatively short when compared to the rest of his family). Unlike many on Zi, August wears no facial markings, choosing instead a cleaner look. Aside from his youthful appearance, he seems to look the part of a typical mercenary zoid pilot: rugged, functional, but stylish clothing, and a few accessories that might come in handy. In August's case, these would be a sharpened alloy loading hook that he keeps attached to a length of heavy duty cord, and a pilot's grip knife to which he can attach it, turning both weapons into a kind of grappling hook.

 

[spoiler=Personality]"For someone who's supposedly on the run, you do a terrible job of staying inconspicuous."

 

An apt appraisal of August Von Brandt, if there ever was one. Equal parts knight errant and wide-eyed child, at first glance August seems to be way, way in over his head in the wastelands of Europa. To an extent, this is true. He's naive, stubborn, and can be very obnoxious; all traits that serve to both get him into trouble, and rub the locals the wrong way. Not one for subtlety, August wears his emotions on his sleeve, and very rarely holds his tongue, preferring instead to vocalize (often loudly) what's on his mind. He can be impatient and quick to anger, too, not to mention he's overly trusting, and gullible enough to be easily led on. Part of this stems from his upbringing. After all, being raised in the lap of luxury would have such an effect on almost anyone (not that he was raised in the lap of luxury, who told you that?). And as for the rest... well, August just has some growing up to do.

 

He's not a bad kid (or man, if you ask August himself) though. Quite the contrary, in fact, as those who know him best can attest. He has a strong moral compass and sense of justice, much moreso than one would expect. August often takes it upon himself to right the wrongs he sees, whether he's asked to get involved or not. Though this might make him seem self-righteous, August doesn't act this way out of conceit. Rather, he simply believes in doing the right thing, and his naivete and attitude usually mean that he'll go about it in the most direct way possible. Thankfully, August isn't overly belligerent about it, and unless the situation calls for a fight, he'll more often than not display a surprising amount of tact and restraint. This isn't to say that he avoids conflict though. On the contrary, August has never been afraid to use violence, nor does he shy away from bragging about his combat prowess (especially in Zoids, though in truth his piloting leaves a bit to be desired).

 

Though he is indeed overconfident, the bravado is also something of a front. August is sweet and kind-hearted, but he's also very insecure about showing weakness to others, and so he tries to act the part of a tough, brash mercenary. He isn't fooling anyone though. August's real nature comes out most often when he's interacting with younger children and Zoids (who seem to be naturally drawn to him) but anyone who spends enough time around him can tell that he's a warm, sensitive boy. He'll steadfastly deny that he's a big softie, of course, but at the end of the day, most people see right through him.

 

While a more cursory glance at him would seem to say otherwise, in certain ways, August is as noble as his title would indicate (not that he has a title, you must have him confused for someone else). Sure, he's loud, stubborn, and doesn't quite know when to restrain himself, but all in all, he's a good kid, and has within him the makings of a great man. If only he would learn to reign himself in a bit.

 

 

 

[spoiler=Background]Born just a few short years before the beginning of the Western Continent War, most of August's early life was spent on Nyx, in the Guylos capitol of Valhalla. Thanks to his family’s noble Guylos heritage, as well as the influence of his uncle: Regent Gunther Prozen, August lived his earliest days blissfully in the lap of luxury. All of the young boy’s wants and needs were provided for, even amidst the desolate landscapes of the dark continent. His earliest memories are happy ones, spent playing in the snows of Nyx with his best friend: the crown prince Rudolf Gerhardt Guylos III, watched over by Prozen's son Wolff.

August was only seven years old when the Western Continent War concluded; blissfully unaware of the sacrifices made by his countrymen during the Guylos empire’s defeat. It wouldn’t be until ZAC 2101, when the Republic once again came to Nyx, that a 9 year old August would learn of the horrors of war and of the machinations of his uncle.

 

Zoid: Seig the Blade Liger

[spoiler=Misc.]anything that doesnt fit in the above that you wish to include.

 

 

 

 

 

[spoiler=The Mighty Steed WIP]Name: Seig

Species: Blade Liger

[spoiler=image]

 

[spoiler=Description]

 

[spoiler=Weapons and equipment]List and/or describe the zoid's weapons and equipment here.

 

 

 

[Asriel Dreemurr]

[spoiler=Aesling Sturlson]"For the last time, the price is non-negotiable."

"What? No, I don't take Marks!"
Name: Aesling Sturlson
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Nationality: Helic
[spoiler=Appearance]

 

Aesling is a fairly short young woman, standing at 5'4" (162cm) tall, and has quite the slender figure. This is not because of any particularly "womanly" aspect of her features, but because a lifetime of living on the very frontier of civilization does not allow for the regular sort of softness that people in the bigger cities of Zi enjoy. The constant need to work, and often fight as well, to survive has left her body hardened and muscular. It has also contributed to her boyish figure, slight bust and hips with a waist that is not particularly narrow. Perhaps the most obvious sign of the hardships of this life are the prominent scars that cover a large portion of Aesling's chest and neck, along with an assortment of smaller ones on her hands, forearms, and face. Speaking of her face, apart from the scars it isn't particularly interesting with a mess of pale blonde hair, usually tied back, resting on top of it and pale green eyes set into it.
 
In terms of clothing, Aesling can most commonly be found wearing a rather curious outfit designed to offer maximum protection from the sun and sand. Heavy, functional boots that lace up to her knees protect her from any jagged bits of metal she might encounter in the desert, and a similarly heavy pair of leather working gloves do the same when she has to directly interact with scrap. The rest of her attire is all light, breathable cloth meant to maximize coverage and protection from Zi's oppressive sun and minimize the buildup of heat close to her body. A long-sleeved shirt and pants that slip inside of her boots are the norm, and on days when the wind is especially fierce she adds a hooded poncho for further protection from the sand. Occasionally she will supplement this further with an old military issue gas mask, though this is typically only during sandstorms. Even when she is just around the Sturlson Garage, she supplements the rest of her attire with a heavy leather belt covered in sheaths and slots for the many hand tools she frequently needs when performing maintenance. One thing of particular note that hangs off this belt is a short-barreled shotgun that looks to be both very well used and cared for, even if the paint is starting to chip off in places. Another thing she is frequently seen carrying is a large two-handed sword that, to anyone who can recognize it, looks like it was made from the curved fang of a zoid. The thickness of the blade at its base means there isn't a need for a guard, and both that base and the hilt are coated in a pliable polymer compound which makes for easy gripping. She always carries this sword with her when out of town, and leaves it mounted behind the counter in the Sturlson Garage when she is at home.

 

[spoiler=Personality]

Aesling is fairly humorless, as are most people who have lived in Europa's wastelands. She isn't especially fond of jokes, doesn't care for sarcasm, and will probably punch you in the mouth if you make a pun around her. Above all of these she despises haggling, considering it the single biggest waste of time anyone who walks into her shop could possibly subject her to. In fact she doesn't actually consider dealing with customers to be anything more than a painful necessity. If she could live without the income from selling parts and repairing Zoids, she would happily stay in her garage and tinker her days away.
 
This desire to tinker about with the mechanical pieces she has laying about in the shop comes from a love of and fascination with the mechanical fauna of Zi. In many ways her attitude towards Zoids can be considered to be the opposite of hers towards people, to the point that if a pilot brings one in to have some work done she will frequently address the zoid first even if it is not especially sentient. This is the most obvious in her relationships with Sif, whom she treats more like a pet than a creature built from the ground up for warfare, and Charlie, whom she has put more work into than just about any other project.
 
Her aforementioned distaste for dealing with people does come with a few exceptions, and some very notable inclusions. To Red River locals, repeat out-of-town customers, and both current and former Helic Republic soldiers she is far less callous. In some cases she is even patient with them, though friendliness is not exactly her strong suit. Even known Bandits and those from the former Guylos Empire can expect a decent welcome, as long as they behave themselves. As for those with ties to the Neo Zenebas Empire, the exact opposite is true. She is so strongly opposed to dealing with the Empire that most locals will tell those affiliated with it to take off their uniforms, cover up any emblems on their zoids, and not even mention Zenebas around her. Aesling usually sees through such efforts, she claims that a Zenebas Accent is so distinctive that it's impossible to hide, but if they're at least polite and pay well she'll still serve them as customers. However, those that brazenly walk into her shop like their heritage is something to be proud of get a very rude welcome. The nicest she has ever been to such people is to sternly tell them to get out of her shop. The worst she has been involved chasing a terrified Zenebas Officer back to the relative safety of his zoid while peppering the ground just behind him with blasts from her trusty short-barreled shotgun.

 

[spoiler=Background]

Aesling is one of the original residents of Red River, and has lived in the town since its founding. Since before its founding in fact. She was born the daughter of Artur and Sierra Sturlson, both pilots serving in the Helic Republic's army, during the last fleeting moments of peace before the beginning of the Western Continent War. As her parents were deployed to Europa at the outset of the war, she was brought along and had only the briefest of experiences with Delpoi. When the military base that would eventually become Red River was established, she became a resident as her parents were stationed there and deployed out of it for combat. When her Mother and Father left to take part in the invasion of Nyx, she stayed behind in the base along with the garrison. While the war raged on in Nyx, Aesling was learning how to repair and care for Zoids, which she displayed prodigious skill for. When the invasion of Nyx ended in disaster, and the Neo Zenebas Empire launched their invasion of Delpoi, the majority of the base's garrison was called back to their homeland to assist in its defense. Some were left behind in the haste to return to Delpoi, and the then twelve-year-old Aesling was among them. With little other option, she and those left behind came together and set about eking out a living in the wastelands.
 
Separated as she was from the war, Aesling grew up in relative peace there in the abandoned base that was her home. She and the others that had been left behind came together out of necessity, and began building a community based around salvaging what they could from the remains of battlefields and ruins in the deserts around. Their proximity to the Red River proved an enormous blessing, as with just a little work it allowed them to cultivate what they needed for food and the base's facilities for purifying water were easy enough for them to run. At first the original inhabitants of Red River stuck to as few buildings as possible, so as to minimize maintenance needs while they worked out how to make living in a former military base with most of the personnel gone. Most of the mechanically capable people, Aesling included, turned towards getting things running and soon enough people were living in their own houses. Aesling herself took over the garage next to the barracks she had grown up in and set herself up as a mechanic. Eventually they put together a town charter and started calling the place Red River. Since the town has never technically been claimed by either of Zi's superpowers, this makes it one of, if not absolutely, the first independent towns in Europa established by non-natives.

 

The base-turned-town quickly began receiving a steady influx of people from all sides of the conflict. Some were civilians fleeing from battles that had devastated their homes. Others were soldiers that for one reason or another had had enough of the fighting and deserted. Many of Red River's new residents also brought Zoids in varying states of repair, and as the town grew in size and began receiving ever more traffic their salvage operations, which had once simply been a matter of personal survival, became a business which saw the town turning into something prosperous. While this did attract some ne'er-do-wells, their position as one of the few places in the wasteland where you could get your Zoid repaired with no questions asked as long as you could either pay in hard cash or scrap meant most preferred to stay on the town's good side. The fact that they began putting together a militia composed largely of veteran pilots from the Helic Republic, Neo Zenebas, or even Guylos Empire remnants further meant that the place quickly turned into somewhere that even Bandits preferred to come, do their business, and leave.

 

Aesling herself gained a reputation for being the best at taking salvaged parts and putting them to good use. Whether that was stripping parts out of an old weapon system to repair someone's air conditioner, and air conditioner repairs were probably the most common thing that she or any mechanic in Red River got called out to do in town, or piecing together parts from five mangled Liger legs to get a new one built for one of the local militia. For a while she had to rely on other scavengers to bring in the parts she needed to work with, since the wastes were too dangerous for her to go out in without a Zoid of her own. That all changed when she found Charlie.

 
Charlie was a Zoid core in pristine condition that she found locked away in a sub-basement of the Sturlson Garage, which had since had its neon sign put up. Neither she, nor anyone else in Red River, could figure out what it was meant to go into so she put it away in the "Not For Sale" section of her Garage. Eventually she got it into her head that it was cruel to leave the "poor little guy" without a means of getting around. To that end, she set about gathering every spare part she could find to build a chasis for him. While it wasn't the best fit, she managed to piece together a fully functional, if somewhat small, Guysak chasis to fit the zoid core into. Even though Charlie wasn't the most active zoid on his own and certainly showed little sign of sentience she made a point of taking him about everywhere she went. He even became something of a pet project of hers, and every bit of free time she had was spent touching him up and trying yet another thing to give him better control of his chasis. Though this did show signs of improvement, Charlie would sometimes scuttle around the Garage's lot on his own or crawl under larger Zoids for cover from the sun, the fact that these moments were intermittent at best was something of a disappointment to Aesling. Still, now that she had Charlie she could finally go out into the wastes without fear of wild zoids. At least that was the idea, and it worked for quite a while. Charlie also had the further benefit of allowing her to carry back fairly large amounts of salvage on her own, which diminished her need to rely on the scavengers in town.
 
When she was 14 years old, she had a rather curious encounter out in the wastes. While she and Charlie were digging a large piece of armor plating out of the sands, they came under attack by a Zoid which Aesling never got a good look at. It moved so quickly that it struck Charlie's cockpit before she even knew it was there, its claws tearing away the canopy and cutting her across the face, chest, and neck in the process. She rather quickly lost consciousness from a mix of shock and blood loss, and when she came to she was back in Red River's hospital some weeks later. The only sign of her attacker was an enormous fang stuck in charlie's claws, plain steel in color. It took nearly a year for her to fully recover, and while her wounds healed they left the distinctive scars that she has become known for along with her skills as a mechanic. Scars which, for better or worse, have led to her receiving a good bit more attention from those of Guylos descent. In the time it took for her to get back on her feet several other attacks by a Zoid were reported. Everyone from scavengers to traveling merchants and even bandits were targeted, and none of them managed to get a good enough look at it to identify it as anything beyond a large feline, or canine in some descriptions, Zoid. The only thing that stayed consistent across all accounts was a lack of any paint on it, and one good fang that matched the one Aesling had taken. Thus the legend of the Red River Devil was born: a Zoid that prowled the wastelands looking for anyone and everyone to prey upon for one reason or another. Charlie the Guysak further gained some renown, as he was the only Zoid to so much as scratch the thing let alone take a piece of it off. The aforementioned claw has since been converted into a sort of Greatsword, which Aesling either hangs on the wall of the Sturlson Garage or carries with her as a good luck charm when traveling out of town.
 
Some two years later, the unexpected happened. Aesling's parents, along with several other Republic soldiers who had left family behind in Red River, returned and brought news of the Republic's push back into Delpoi. They promised to come back for their daughter when the war was over, and they left after only a few days' time to return to the final battle. The hope this sparked in Aesling was a curious thing, and she was a good bit happier over the next two years as she waited for her family to come back to her. When word reached her of the armistice, by way of soldiers on both sides that had left their respective armies at the war's end, she turned away from working on Charlie and her other smaller projects in her spare time to sitting on the roof of her garage looking East so that she could see her parents coming. This led to no small amount of excitement when she saw Sif, her father's Konig Wolf, coming in to town and she rushed out to meet her...only to discover both that the Zoid had quite a bit of battle damage and that her father was not with her. The next several weeks were spent putting every ounce of skill she had into repairing Sif, distracting herself from what her return alone almost certainly meant.
 
When Sif was repaired, and Aesling now had little else to distract herself, the realization sunk in that her parents weren't coming back. For a while, she became sullen and barely spoke to anyone. She still did business with Imperials during this time, but that changed soon enough. For over a year and a half she has spoken out against the Empire at every opportunity she has, and refused to do business with anyone allied to it. Of course her skill as a mechanic has meant that many of them still come to her, though unless they show the proper reverence and at least make an attempt to not be obvious about where they came from she has thrown them out. Sometimes bodily.
 
In terms of more recent events, the Sturlson Garage was left untouched when the marauders made their attack on Red River. This is mostly due to Sif convincing them that anything they could have stolen from it was not worth the risk of fighting a fully armed and combat-ready Konig Wolf to get to. Aesling herself was out in the wastes, and the salvage that she brought back was almost immediately put to use doing emergency repairs on the militia's Zoids.

 

 

Zoids: Sif, Konig Wolf; Charlie, Guysak

[spoiler= Skills/Specializations]

Mechanist: There is not a single mechanic in Red River who is better at repairing Zoids than Aesling Sturlson, and that doesn't just mean with proper tools. Whether she's completely rebuilding a torn up leg in the Sturlson Garage, patching up pitted armor with just a hand torch and a hammer, or reattaching a severed blade to its mount while clinging to the back of a Zoid taking fire she can put the mechanical lifeforms back together in almost any situation. If she had access to higher quality tools, she could probably rival Zoitec's best maintenance teams on her own. If you need repairs or even scratch-built parts, you go to Aesling.

Combatant: Growing up on a military base which later turned into a semi-lawless town meant that Aesling had to be able to take care of herself in a fight, and she certainly can. Even against larger foes she can put up enough of a fight in hand to hand that most people just don't get into it. The fact that she can use her scratch-made greatsword like she was born with it is just further puts off some. She is not a bad shot either, though most of her ranged-combat experience comes from using Zoid-mounted weapons rather than handheld.

Strength and Toughness: Aesling might not look like much at first glance, but that unassuming frame hides a remarkable capacity to push on in the face of adversity. Tough enough to take anything the world throws at her and strong enough to throw it back in its face, she's in many ways the very embodiment of the pioneer spirit that once upon a time sent Humanity out across the stars. Just don't expect her to be...flexible.

 

 

[spoiler=Charlie the Scorpion]Name: Charlie
Species: Guysak
[spoiler=Image]

 

[spoiler=Description]
Charlie is the Guysak which Aesling Sturlson built from scratch to house the mysterious Zoid Core which she found in the sub basements of the building that became the Sturlson Garage. It is not actually known what species of zoid the core properly belongs to, but it most likely isn't a Guysak as Charlie displays inconsistent levels of sentience. Some days the zoid can move around mostly on its own, and even responds when Aesling speaks to it. Other days, Charlie is completely unresponsive and every function of the chasis needs to be controlled by Aesling as its pilot. Charlie is one of a few zoids to have survived an encounter with the legendary Red River Devil, and is the only one to have reportedly wounded it in any serious regard. Fairly small for a Guysak, Charlie can cling onto Sif's underbelly without meaningfully inhibiting the Konig Wolf's movement. Beyond that, Charlie is capable of burying himself in the sand and moving underground at a respectable speed.

[spoiler=Weapons and Equipment]
AZ 30mm Beam Rifle: The standard weapon mounted to the end of a Guysak's tail, this weapon can be a nasty surprise for anyone caught unsuspecting by the Zoid. Capable of firing high-density beams of charged particles out to fairly long ranges at a respectable rate, this weapon makes engaging a Guysak at ranged the lesser of two dangerous options. Some Guysak pilots will use it as a means of finishing off their opponents, after trapping them with the Guysak's claws.

Laser Claws: The large scorpion-claws represent the Guysak's primary means of defending itself in melee. While they are quite powerful things on their own, capable of crushing down into metal and pinning Zoids in place, they come equipped with powerful laser emitters to enhance their destructive capabilities. Charlie mostly uses these for manipulating large pieces of scrap to carry back to Red River.

Smoke Discharger: For those times when Aesling and Charlie can't quite handle what they come against. A number of small ports along the Guysak's body allow it to spew a thick, gray smoke into the air. This smoke is laced with metal particles, which interfere with most forms of detection apart from visual. Usually, this allows the pair to either completely escape a fight, or reposition themselves to a place where they can properly take on whatever decided to F with them.

 

 

[spoiler=Great White Wolf Sif]Name: Sif

Species: König Wolf

[spoiler=Image]https://i.imgur.com/Dpdms1Z.png

 

[spoiler=Description]

Built from the ground up for war, Sif is one of the Republic's line of Zoids originally intended to counter the Imperial Liger Zero. Though developmental issues led to the König Wolf seeing limited deployment, those pilots who had the opportunity to use one fell in love with the design immediately. Faster and lighter than their Imperial counterparts, and incredibly accurate with ranged weapons, König Wolves were among the most feared Zoids in the Republic's arsenal.

 

Sif herself was one of the first, and saw action as far back as the dying days of the Western Continent War. Her first deployment, when she was introduced to Artur Sturlson, saw her contending with the desperate measures of the Guylos Empire as they were being pushed back into Nyx, and she did not merely survive. She thrived. And she continued to thrive as she and her pilot fought their way through the most hostile of environments that the Dark Continent had to offer. Though initially equipped with the standard equipment loadout of the Dual Sniper Rifle and Missile Launchers that other Konig Wolves were, Sif was one of the few to be equipped with the limited production Changing Armor System. In addition to generally enhancing her performance and providing additional armor, this allowed her to support a newer, more powerful weapon system: the Twin Railgun. This made her even more dangerous at a distance, and up close her Electron Bite Fangs and Strike Claws ensured that even up close she was a force to be reckoned with. A fact that Guylos and Zenebas pilots alike learned to respect and fear. Sif was only beaten once, in the last battle of the war as the Helic Republic sought to reclaim Delpoi for themselves. An enemy Zoid managed to catch Sif in the cockpit, killing Artur and leaving her without his guidance. Interestingly, Sif owes her survival to a Guylos pilot and her Zoid who had been her and Artur's principle rivals during the Invasion of Nyx. Perhaps repaying some unspoken debt, or simply not wanting her foe to be killed by any but herself, the black Liger Zero X pinned down the Zeneban Zoid long enough for Sif to get a shot off and seemingly destroy its core. Even so, the battle ended soon with the truce brokered by Emperor Muroa and President Herrman, and rather than end up in a surplus lot or with some other pilot, the legendary wolf disappeared and eventually found her way to Europa and Aesling.

 

Sif is one of the more sentient Zoids there are, and displays intelligence and behavior very similar to wolves and dogs on Earth. Perhaps this is most obvious when she encounters a new Zoid, as she happily runs up to and jumps around it barking in an effort to get it to play, at least as long as it isn't immediately and obviously hostile. This has caused a bit of tension between her and Aesling when Sif gets too friendly with an Imperial Zoid, but Aesling can rarely stay mad at Sif and tends to be much more tolerant of pilots whose Zoids the König Wolf likes. Most of the time these days, Sif spends her time running around Red River carrying a truly enormous tennis ball and looking for playmates.

 

[spoiler=Weapons and Equipment]

Dual Railgun: One of the more powerful guns ever mounted to a zoid, each in this pair of weapons utilizes a trio of electrically charged rails to accelerate solid metal slugs to High-Hypersonic Speeds. While this does mean that some of the rate of fire of the Dual Sniper Rifle is sacrificed, the effects on targets downrange are often considered to be well worth the reduction. Combined with the König Wolf's legendary accuracy, this is a weapon that can easily prove fatal to face in combat.
Electron Bite Fangs and Strike Claws: The only weapons that have ever been stock on a König Wolf, the unremarkable appearance of these claws and fangs belies their destructive power. In addition to being plainly sharp, as all Zoid teeth and claws generally are, electricity visibly arcs along them in combat. While this does produce a certain amount of heat, the main danger of contacting them is electrocution and the associated overwhelming of an enemy Zoid's systems. Even those well-removed from the location of a strike or bite are not necessarily safe.

Headgear: The primary source of the König Wolves' legendary accuracy is the supplemental sensory equipment contained in and around their cockpits. These "goggles" as they are colloquially known contain a full suite of targeting sensors, and thus allow the Zoid and her pilot to acquire targets in nearly all conditions and at extreme ranges.

Ion Boosters: Mounted just inside of the armor plating these boosters significantly increase Sif's speed, allowing her to dart across a battlefield with little effort or reduce the effect of heavy weapon recoil. Slightly heavier than those seen on non CAS equipped König Wolves, in order to offset the effects of the additional weight.

 

 

 

Sif is done, Charlie needs to be updated, Aesling's bio needs slight updating.