colserra
Member
- Joined
- May 18, 2024
- Messages
- 11
- Thread Author
- #1
Name: Jay Crane
Nickname: Crane
Gender: Male
Age: 23
Date of Birth: November 25th, 1997
Place of Birth: [UNDETERMINED]
Current Location:
Occupation: Author, Embedded Resistance Operative
Spoken Languages: English, German
An idealist, to a dangerous degree. An eventful youth has taught him that compassion and solidarity trump all, and his dedication to those values have pushed him far enough to enter the lions den.
Born somewhere in western Europe shortly before the resonance cascade, his true place of origin remains a mystery even to him, as his home town was one of the first on the continent to be hit by a portal storm, eradicating any official documentation about his origins. He was only spared by sheer luck due to being in the care of his grandmother in a different city at the time, with his parents going missing. He retains no memories of his life prior to the year 2001. His grandmother took him on a desperate trip across Europe, trying to reach distant relatives in Poland. However, she died of natural causes before making it all the way there, leaving the young boy stranded in a foreign country. Four years old at that time, he was inducted into the hopelessly overloaded foster system of Slovakia.
He got lucky again in the end, being placed with a German family that had emigrated shortly before the catastrophe. Growing up during the unraveling of modern society on the continent, he had to learn many lessons at a young age. The most important of them was one he learned during a stern conversation with his adoptive father, after he had gotten into a fight with a kid next door when he was ten.
He told him:
“Listen, I’m not going to lie to you, I know that life sucks for you right now. It sucks for all of us. We don’t have enough to eat, we almost freeze in the winter, and there is no hope on the horizon. It’s probably going to get even worse before it gets better, if it ever does. You might think that means what we do has no meaning. That there is no reason to stick to the rules, to behave, to be a good person.
You are wrong. There has never been a point in history where those things have been more important. When I grew up, when things went wrong we could always blame someone else. The government let us down, the public officials aren’t doing their jobs, whatever. If we needed help, we could call on someone else. Not anymore.
There is no state that can take care of us, no police to protect us and no safety nets to rely on. Do you want things to get better? Do you know who the only people are who can make that happen? It’s you. It’s you, me, your mother, and everyone else here. If you hurt people, if you take out your anger on others, you are making the world worse. The only way you will ever feel better is by making the world better. I know, that might seem laughable in the face of everything we have all been through, but that is all we can do. That is all ANYONE can do now. Do the best you can, every day. And if the best you can do is nothing, than that is better than making things worse. But eventually, you will be able to make a difference. To tip the scales in favor of people like us, even if it’s just a tiny little bit.”
That message stuck with him, and over the years he internalized it to an almost obsessive degree. After the seven hour war, his foster family was able to stay with him for a few more years while the combine developed and settled into the patterns of their occupation. They were relocated multiple times all across Eurasia, short stints in one country or another, borders and nationalities starting to blend into each other and loosing meaning. Eventually though, shortly after he turned 18, they were separated unexpectedly. On his way home from a workshift, he was grabbed by Civil Protection and handed a document that stated he was to be relocated to a city across the continent, effective immediately. He never got to say goodbye.
The next few years went by in a haze. He managed to pick up some valuable skills along the way, one of the first ones being emergency medicine during his training to become a medic in the first city he lived alone in. He managed to get some years of experience in that field before he was uprooted and relocated once again.
At 21, he was determined to put into action the ideals his family had instilled in him. Looking for any opportunity he could find to help and improve the lives of the people he met, he quickly clashed with the occupier’s vision for the future of humanity. After witnessing the treatment of patients considered to be anti-citizens or lower class by local doctors and hearing the way loyalists would try to justify the atrocities committed by the combine, including the continued destruction of earth, he realized that working within the system was not something he could stomach, instead trawling the underbellies of the cities he lived in, trying to help those who could not hope for their occupier's mercy.
His options were limited however, as every city he had been to so far had either been under strict control by the combine with little room to breathe or lacked any real resistance infrastructure.
That all changed the day he got the notice of relocation to City 8. After arriving, he soon realized that things worked a lot different here than he was used to. Civil Protection tended to be corrupt and lazy, and the underworld was rich with resistance activity.
For a while he just tried to find his footing, doing his best to help out where he could along the way, quickly understanding that his lack of experience with firearms and smuggling of illicit goods would be quite a hindrance, since many of the local groups seemed very focused on direct, violent action against the combine and their supporters. While he wasn’t opposed to fighting for the freedom of humanity, he preferred to contribute in a way that was more suited to his skills. He was good with people, not guns. So, for a few weeks, Crane went around the Slums and Sewers of the sprawling city, providing guidance, food and medical treatment to those that needed it, making a few loose acquaintances along the way.
He only really started down the path of actual resistance once he met the Leukocytes. A totally random meeting in the sewers over a dancing headcrab led to Crane finding himself among a circle of strangers in a hidden base, being offered the chance to be part of something way larger than he could have hoped to accomplish on his own. The group was looking for an inside man, someone who could move freely within the bounds of the city, had a clean record and could funnel as much information as possible back into the Slums. Realizing that this was probably his one chance to make a real, measurable difference, he bit the bullet and agreed to embed within the local loyalist scene, a thought equally revolting and scary to him.
Starting out with writing for the MoE, his mission from this point on is to go as deep as he can, using any inroads that present themselves along the way to further his insight into the inner working of the mechanisms of occupation that run behind the cities walls. Will his ideals and compassionate nature allow him to be the cold-hearted collaborator that he needs to be, or will his naivety and lack of experience make him pay the ultimate price?
He got lucky again in the end, being placed with a German family that had emigrated shortly before the catastrophe. Growing up during the unraveling of modern society on the continent, he had to learn many lessons at a young age. The most important of them was one he learned during a stern conversation with his adoptive father, after he had gotten into a fight with a kid next door when he was ten.
He told him:
“Listen, I’m not going to lie to you, I know that life sucks for you right now. It sucks for all of us. We don’t have enough to eat, we almost freeze in the winter, and there is no hope on the horizon. It’s probably going to get even worse before it gets better, if it ever does. You might think that means what we do has no meaning. That there is no reason to stick to the rules, to behave, to be a good person.
You are wrong. There has never been a point in history where those things have been more important. When I grew up, when things went wrong we could always blame someone else. The government let us down, the public officials aren’t doing their jobs, whatever. If we needed help, we could call on someone else. Not anymore.
There is no state that can take care of us, no police to protect us and no safety nets to rely on. Do you want things to get better? Do you know who the only people are who can make that happen? It’s you. It’s you, me, your mother, and everyone else here. If you hurt people, if you take out your anger on others, you are making the world worse. The only way you will ever feel better is by making the world better. I know, that might seem laughable in the face of everything we have all been through, but that is all we can do. That is all ANYONE can do now. Do the best you can, every day. And if the best you can do is nothing, than that is better than making things worse. But eventually, you will be able to make a difference. To tip the scales in favor of people like us, even if it’s just a tiny little bit.”
That message stuck with him, and over the years he internalized it to an almost obsessive degree. After the seven hour war, his foster family was able to stay with him for a few more years while the combine developed and settled into the patterns of their occupation. They were relocated multiple times all across Eurasia, short stints in one country or another, borders and nationalities starting to blend into each other and loosing meaning. Eventually though, shortly after he turned 18, they were separated unexpectedly. On his way home from a workshift, he was grabbed by Civil Protection and handed a document that stated he was to be relocated to a city across the continent, effective immediately. He never got to say goodbye.
The next few years went by in a haze. He managed to pick up some valuable skills along the way, one of the first ones being emergency medicine during his training to become a medic in the first city he lived alone in. He managed to get some years of experience in that field before he was uprooted and relocated once again.
At 21, he was determined to put into action the ideals his family had instilled in him. Looking for any opportunity he could find to help and improve the lives of the people he met, he quickly clashed with the occupier’s vision for the future of humanity. After witnessing the treatment of patients considered to be anti-citizens or lower class by local doctors and hearing the way loyalists would try to justify the atrocities committed by the combine, including the continued destruction of earth, he realized that working within the system was not something he could stomach, instead trawling the underbellies of the cities he lived in, trying to help those who could not hope for their occupier's mercy.
His options were limited however, as every city he had been to so far had either been under strict control by the combine with little room to breathe or lacked any real resistance infrastructure.
That all changed the day he got the notice of relocation to City 8. After arriving, he soon realized that things worked a lot different here than he was used to. Civil Protection tended to be corrupt and lazy, and the underworld was rich with resistance activity.
For a while he just tried to find his footing, doing his best to help out where he could along the way, quickly understanding that his lack of experience with firearms and smuggling of illicit goods would be quite a hindrance, since many of the local groups seemed very focused on direct, violent action against the combine and their supporters. While he wasn’t opposed to fighting for the freedom of humanity, he preferred to contribute in a way that was more suited to his skills. He was good with people, not guns. So, for a few weeks, Crane went around the Slums and Sewers of the sprawling city, providing guidance, food and medical treatment to those that needed it, making a few loose acquaintances along the way.
He only really started down the path of actual resistance once he met the Leukocytes. A totally random meeting in the sewers over a dancing headcrab led to Crane finding himself among a circle of strangers in a hidden base, being offered the chance to be part of something way larger than he could have hoped to accomplish on his own. The group was looking for an inside man, someone who could move freely within the bounds of the city, had a clean record and could funnel as much information as possible back into the Slums. Realizing that this was probably his one chance to make a real, measurable difference, he bit the bullet and agreed to embed within the local loyalist scene, a thought equally revolting and scary to him.
Starting out with writing for the MoE, his mission from this point on is to go as deep as he can, using any inroads that present themselves along the way to further his insight into the inner working of the mechanisms of occupation that run behind the cities walls. Will his ideals and compassionate nature allow him to be the cold-hearted collaborator that he needs to be, or will his naivety and lack of experience make him pay the ultimate price?
Appearance:
Of slightly above average height, with rust colored hair, brown eyes and a full but well maintained beard. Looking at his face, the first thing most people notice are his eyes, burning with passion and determination. Despite his young age, his face is already starting to show laugh lines, betraying his friendly and outgoing personality. When blending into the crowds of the city, he makes sure to keep his black standard issue jumpsuit clean, only rarely switching to more casual outfits, sometimes sporting a gray or green beanie. When entering the Slums, he always switches to one of a few different typical Slummer outfits, trying to avoid cross-contamination between his two identities.
Personality:
Despite insecurities and fears running below the surface, Crane manages to maintain a stable and determined outlook on life, fueled by his ideals and convictions. Very sociable and quick to emphasize with people and their struggles, his openness leads him into dangerous situations every now and then. This became very apparent when he chose to introduce himself to the Leukocytes with his real name, a move he now deeply regrets after realizing how easy it would be for someone to make the connection should a member of the group give up his name after he managed to infiltrate the loyalist ecosystem, showing his naivety and lack of experience.
Likes:
- Animals, of pretty much any kind. Quick to befriend even the strange creatures from Xen that keep appearing across the city, once even letting a friendly headcrab climb across his body.
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- Medicine. Proficient in first aid and advanced on-scene interventions, Crane luckily only rarely has to rely on these skills.
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- Cooking. Crane enjoys cooking for other people greatly, especially if they are in need. Food always tastes better when you eat it together!
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- Writing. He considers himself decently good with words, and mostly uses that skill in his attempt to infiltrate the MoE.
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- Dislikes:
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- Violence. Even though he is decently fit and will defend himself if needed, he does not have any real hands-on experience, especially with guns, having never held one in his life.
People without ideals. Since arriving here, Crane has met quite a few people both within and outside of the city that seem to have no real moral compass. Seeing rebels who seemingly care more about their gear and the next shipment of smuggled supplies than actually helping people makes him furious.
Peanuts. He’s allergic.
Relationships:
Supports | Respects | Fears | Dislikes | Hates
Leukocytes
Crane’s first real contacts into the resistance in City 8. Impressed by their apparent capabilities and organization, he gladly took the opportunity to be part of something larger than himself. While most members remain little more than strangers to him, he trusts their leader to make the right decisions. Still, he is glad that his assignment is keeping him out of any direct danger for now.
Kamikos
Having had only a handful of run-ins with their members, Crane mostly knows them by reputation. He is fully aware of his standing as a foreigner in this city, and tries to stay under their radar as best as he can.
CMU/CMRU
Being a medic by trade, the clinic was the first place he felt himself drawn towards. After witnessing the doctors refusing to treat a black-banded woman with serious injuries, he realized how deep corruption and loyalism run in this city, causing him to sour on the idea of applying at the clinic rather quickly.
CWU
Despite being part of the system, Crane has always experienced the workers at the CWU as upright and honest people. Inserting himself here was his second choice, right after the MoE.
MoE
One of his first points of contact within the city, Crane had been recruited to write books for the library. After finding some success in that, he realized that this would be the most promising avenue if he wanted to get settled into an official position within the city, setting his sights on the position as news writer. From his encounters with its employees, the MoE seems to be a bit more laid back than he would have expected, given their status as the cities propaganda machine.
CCA
The embodiment of occupation and collaboration within the city. Crane feels little but disdain for anyone within the party, and what few interactions he had with high-tier loyalists and party members solidified his view of them as spineless, intolerant bourgeois.
CP
Crane learned early on to see the combine executive as a force of nature. Some days you might get home safely and enjoy the sun, while on others rain is pounding down on you. There is no fighting them alone, so he does his best to maintain the collaborator facade. This doesn’t change the fact that his heart stops for a moment whenever a unit approaches him, the fear of getting caught constantly at the back of his mind.
Leukocytes
Crane’s first real contacts into the resistance in City 8. Impressed by their apparent capabilities and organization, he gladly took the opportunity to be part of something larger than himself. While most members remain little more than strangers to him, he trusts their leader to make the right decisions. Still, he is glad that his assignment is keeping him out of any direct danger for now.
Kamikos
Having had only a handful of run-ins with their members, Crane mostly knows them by reputation. He is fully aware of his standing as a foreigner in this city, and tries to stay under their radar as best as he can.
CMU/CMRU
Being a medic by trade, the clinic was the first place he felt himself drawn towards. After witnessing the doctors refusing to treat a black-banded woman with serious injuries, he realized how deep corruption and loyalism run in this city, causing him to sour on the idea of applying at the clinic rather quickly.
CWU
Despite being part of the system, Crane has always experienced the workers at the CWU as upright and honest people. Inserting himself here was his second choice, right after the MoE.
MoE
One of his first points of contact within the city, Crane had been recruited to write books for the library. After finding some success in that, he realized that this would be the most promising avenue if he wanted to get settled into an official position within the city, setting his sights on the position as news writer. From his encounters with its employees, the MoE seems to be a bit more laid back than he would have expected, given their status as the cities propaganda machine.
CCA
The embodiment of occupation and collaboration within the city. Crane feels little but disdain for anyone within the party, and what few interactions he had with high-tier loyalists and party members solidified his view of them as spineless, intolerant bourgeois.
CP
Crane learned early on to see the combine executive as a force of nature. Some days you might get home safely and enjoy the sun, while on others rain is pounding down on you. There is no fighting them alone, so he does his best to maintain the collaborator facade. This doesn’t change the fact that his heart stops for a moment whenever a unit approaches him, the fear of getting caught constantly at the back of his mind.
Likes | Trusts | Acquaintance | Distrusts | Dislikes | Hates
Greynard
The first person Crane really got to know properly after making his way to the Sewers. Greynard explained many of the underworlds inner workings to him, and introduced him to some interesting people. Despite all of that, Cranes opinion of him remains conflicted. Greynard seems to lack a lot of the inspiration and ideals that Crane values, and whenever he runs into him, chances are he is talking about buying or selling something, needing materials for crafting or trying to get someone to open the Den. Still, he is well connected in the underground and Crane appreciates all he did for him.
Crash
His first real meeting with her was when he saw her standing next to a dancing headcrab in the refugee hideout. Freezing in his tracks at first, he approached after she assured him that the raving critter was harmless. Soon after, Crane had befriended the creature and struck up a pleasant conversation with Crash. Next thing he knows, both of them are inducted into the Leukocytes after encountering Samurai down in the Sewers. Out of all the members of his new group, she is the one he relates to the most so far.
Samurai
The first member of the Leukocytes he met, down in the Sewers alongside Crash. The curious headcrab was trying to crawl onto her back, much to her dismay. In the end the two of them managed to get on friendly terms, with Samurai carrying the little guy like a backpack to the Stacks. Crane asked if he could tag along, not wanting to say goodbye to his little friend just yet. They sought refuge in the groups hidden base, and well, the rest is history. Crane respects her for her willingness to overcome her fear, even though he did not get to know her better before deploying to the city.
During the evacuation from City 8, Crane learned of Samurai’s death, from none other than her murderer, who was sitting right next to him in the small boat making it’s way towards the ocean. He didn’t have either time or means to reflect on and process this news yet, as any attempts to confront her killer were cut short by the crew of the boat, fearing escalation.
Wild
Appearing to be the head of the group, Crane quickly noticed that Wild is a competent leader. Even though he isn’t from Geneva, Wild was willing to welcome him to the Leukocytes, overcoming fears on his part of not fitting in. He was especially impressed by her idea to use him as an inside man, an option he himself had not considered up to that point, but as he had to admit, was well suited to what he had to offer. Crane places trust in her, but remains cautious as to what the future will hold for him under her lead.
Grom
They did not speak much to each other, but Crane appreciates his directness and apparent commitment to his work. From what the others told him, Grom is somewhat of a workhorse for the group, and Crane admires that sort of dedication.
Cali
Their first meeting was as short as could be, with Crane bumping into her as he was about to leave the Leukocyte Base to begin his work in the city. Understandably wary of the unfamiliar face that was so suddenly inducted into her group, Cali did not exactly greet him warmly.
They met again during the evacuation of City 8, both hearing the news of Samurai’s death from the person who killed her. Cali, who apparently knew Sam a lot better than Crane did, was furious, and he could tell that she would have tried to rip out the smug bastard’s throat if the circumstances had been any different.
05B – Crabby
The ultimate little guy. The critter that indirectly caused Crane to become a member of the Leukocytes. He holds much fondness for the de-beaked headcrab he found dancing to the radio in the Sewers one day, being overjoyed when he met it again as the time to abandon City 8 was near, offering the little fellow a ride on his back into an uncertain future. Despite this, Crane remains curious about the creature's origin, as it seems to have been experimented on by an advanced scientific institution. Maybe the past of the goofy headcrab that is currently curled up inside one of Cranes beanies will eventually come back to pull him further into trouble?
Mr. Worldwide
Their first meeting was around the campfire in the Sewers, where the brooding figure was spouting what sounded like loyalist slogans, complaining about dirty slummers. Crane was severly irritated by that, eventually confronting the mysterious man about his motives of being down in the sewers in the first place. Their argument was quickly broken up, and later Crane learned from others that the man that calls himself Mr. Worldwide due to this many spoken languages is actually a great boon to the resistance, supplying them with valuable contraband. Later, Crane was able to meet him again in the Den and the two were able to reconcile, exchanging some gifts as a sign of good will.
Crane respects the work that the man does for the resistance, and given that his own path is leading him into the loyalist system now, he gained some insight into the struggles that the man might be facing.
Kompot
One of the many familiar faces that Crane kept running into in the Sewers, never really managing to establish a real relationship with him. Having seen his willingness to help out others many times, Crane appreciates the attitude that Kompot seems to display.
Cash
Crane saw them for the first time down in the sewers as they tried to take down the Hulkabin in a gunfight. At this point he already thought that they seemed overly aggressive and trigger-happy, but had no further involvement with them. After boarding the boat out of City 8, he learned that the figure that seems to enjoy wearing a salvaged CP uniform is not only responsible for the death of Samurai, but went as far as to behead her. Due to the circumstances of being trapped together on a boat on it’s way to the ocean, there was nothing Crane could do but passively take in the news. Not that he would have been able to put up a fight against the heavily armed and armored figure.
Most of all, he was shocked and appalled by the nonchalant and cold way they talked about what they had done.
Greynard
The first person Crane really got to know properly after making his way to the Sewers. Greynard explained many of the underworlds inner workings to him, and introduced him to some interesting people. Despite all of that, Cranes opinion of him remains conflicted. Greynard seems to lack a lot of the inspiration and ideals that Crane values, and whenever he runs into him, chances are he is talking about buying or selling something, needing materials for crafting or trying to get someone to open the Den. Still, he is well connected in the underground and Crane appreciates all he did for him.
Crash
His first real meeting with her was when he saw her standing next to a dancing headcrab in the refugee hideout. Freezing in his tracks at first, he approached after she assured him that the raving critter was harmless. Soon after, Crane had befriended the creature and struck up a pleasant conversation with Crash. Next thing he knows, both of them are inducted into the Leukocytes after encountering Samurai down in the Sewers. Out of all the members of his new group, she is the one he relates to the most so far.
Samurai
The first member of the Leukocytes he met, down in the Sewers alongside Crash. The curious headcrab was trying to crawl onto her back, much to her dismay. In the end the two of them managed to get on friendly terms, with Samurai carrying the little guy like a backpack to the Stacks. Crane asked if he could tag along, not wanting to say goodbye to his little friend just yet. They sought refuge in the groups hidden base, and well, the rest is history. Crane respects her for her willingness to overcome her fear, even though he did not get to know her better before deploying to the city.
During the evacuation from City 8, Crane learned of Samurai’s death, from none other than her murderer, who was sitting right next to him in the small boat making it’s way towards the ocean. He didn’t have either time or means to reflect on and process this news yet, as any attempts to confront her killer were cut short by the crew of the boat, fearing escalation.
Wild
Appearing to be the head of the group, Crane quickly noticed that Wild is a competent leader. Even though he isn’t from Geneva, Wild was willing to welcome him to the Leukocytes, overcoming fears on his part of not fitting in. He was especially impressed by her idea to use him as an inside man, an option he himself had not considered up to that point, but as he had to admit, was well suited to what he had to offer. Crane places trust in her, but remains cautious as to what the future will hold for him under her lead.
Grom
They did not speak much to each other, but Crane appreciates his directness and apparent commitment to his work. From what the others told him, Grom is somewhat of a workhorse for the group, and Crane admires that sort of dedication.
Cali
Their first meeting was as short as could be, with Crane bumping into her as he was about to leave the Leukocyte Base to begin his work in the city. Understandably wary of the unfamiliar face that was so suddenly inducted into her group, Cali did not exactly greet him warmly.
They met again during the evacuation of City 8, both hearing the news of Samurai’s death from the person who killed her. Cali, who apparently knew Sam a lot better than Crane did, was furious, and he could tell that she would have tried to rip out the smug bastard’s throat if the circumstances had been any different.
05B – Crabby
The ultimate little guy. The critter that indirectly caused Crane to become a member of the Leukocytes. He holds much fondness for the de-beaked headcrab he found dancing to the radio in the Sewers one day, being overjoyed when he met it again as the time to abandon City 8 was near, offering the little fellow a ride on his back into an uncertain future. Despite this, Crane remains curious about the creature's origin, as it seems to have been experimented on by an advanced scientific institution. Maybe the past of the goofy headcrab that is currently curled up inside one of Cranes beanies will eventually come back to pull him further into trouble?
Mr. Worldwide
Their first meeting was around the campfire in the Sewers, where the brooding figure was spouting what sounded like loyalist slogans, complaining about dirty slummers. Crane was severly irritated by that, eventually confronting the mysterious man about his motives of being down in the sewers in the first place. Their argument was quickly broken up, and later Crane learned from others that the man that calls himself Mr. Worldwide due to this many spoken languages is actually a great boon to the resistance, supplying them with valuable contraband. Later, Crane was able to meet him again in the Den and the two were able to reconcile, exchanging some gifts as a sign of good will.
Crane respects the work that the man does for the resistance, and given that his own path is leading him into the loyalist system now, he gained some insight into the struggles that the man might be facing.
Kompot
One of the many familiar faces that Crane kept running into in the Sewers, never really managing to establish a real relationship with him. Having seen his willingness to help out others many times, Crane appreciates the attitude that Kompot seems to display.
Cash
Crane saw them for the first time down in the sewers as they tried to take down the Hulkabin in a gunfight. At this point he already thought that they seemed overly aggressive and trigger-happy, but had no further involvement with them. After boarding the boat out of City 8, he learned that the figure that seems to enjoy wearing a salvaged CP uniform is not only responsible for the death of Samurai, but went as far as to behead her. Due to the circumstances of being trapped together on a boat on it’s way to the ocean, there was nothing Crane could do but passively take in the news. Not that he would have been able to put up a fight against the heavily armed and armored figure.
Most of all, he was shocked and appalled by the nonchalant and cold way they talked about what they had done.
Well, the downtime allowed me to finally finish all the parts for this bio. If you met Crane and would like to be included, feel free to comment!
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