☄

[eternalally]

« PLAYER INFORMATION »

Name: Dk
Are you over 18?: Yes
Contact: eflat
Other characters, if any: N/A


« CHARACTER INFORMATION »

Character: Lana Beniko
Canon: Star Wars: The Old Republic
Canon point: end of Knights of the Eternal Throne
OU or AU?: OU
Age: early 30s (estimated, mental/physical age match)
Species: human


« RECORD »


Disposition:

⬥ loyal ‣ One of Lana's most important traits is her fierce loyalty to the people, causes, or ideals around her. At times, she'll explain the loyalty away as a means to an end, a necessary part of forming alliances to face a particular challenge, but there's almost always still a genuine sort of care there— if not originally, then by the time they've achieved their goal. Even as a student of an academy that actively encouraged murdering one's peers to get ahead, Lana knew when teamwork (and mercy) made the most sense. At the end of a sadistic treasure hunt only loosely disguised as education, her only surviving groupmate recalled her comment on them only being able to survive by relying on one another, saying, "You were right." She knew that, of course, but this is an early example of all the times she could have rightfully pulled out, "I told you so," because people failed to work together.

While largely practical, there's often sentimentality attached to her devotions: Lana had been a loyalist of the Sith Empire and she's remained protective of its people and sincerely attached to Sith teachings, regardless of her shifting political affiliations. The hierarchy of who or what she's loyal to changes when necessary, firmly and without regret, but she keeps soft spots for those she's cared for in the past. When she can justify that continued respect, at least, as Lana expects trust and respect in turn and can be quite hurt when that proves (or seems to prove) to not be the case. On the whole, she anticipates that most people can't be trusted completely, if at all, and is accordingly cautious when working with someone new. Once she's established a trusting bond with someone, though, she expects reciprocal loyalty, quite warm and affectionate toward those who give it and willing to discuss the murder of those who don't.

⬥ pragmatic ‣ Every friend group, rebellion, or government needs a level-headed member to help them make tactically intelligent decisions and also not get themselves killed being dumb and Lana is both happy and morally obligated to fill that role whenever possible. She makes a point of gathering as much information as she can before offering a recommended course of action and should she get something wrong (or should someone need additional support because they didn't take her advice to begin with) she's quick to find and correct her mistakes so she can help ensure at least a neutral outcome. Missing clues or misinterpreting information in such a way that someone winds up endangered because of her is something she criticizes herself quite harshly for, quick to not only rectify her mistake, but identify why she made it and ensure she won't make it again.

Lana's pragmatism, however, does sometimes come with inevitable death or destruction. In the grand scheme of saving the galaxy, sacrifices must be made and whether or not allies take her suggestions, she'll stand by them. Unnecessarily risky heroics will frequently earn her criticism (and potentially threats to remove her friend from danger whether they want to leave or not) but so, too, will unnecessary violence or cruelty. She is, at her core, simply a sensible video game companion who just wants her protagonist to have the fewest choices come back to haunt them in the future possible. Whether this means she suggests murder, death by inaction, or going out of the way to save someone is entirely dependent on the situation, a trait that some interpret as her being cold or heartless. Lana rarely argues with someone who's made that decision about her, as it just isn't worth her time.

⬥ curious ‣ Although she rarely has time anymore for the ethics-related academia she once focused on, Lana's noted to have an inquisitive, philosophical mind. She has a great respect for knowledge in any form and a fondness for puzzles that inevitably helps her both get to the bottom of mysteries and maintain status as the voice of reason among her companions. Of course, this also means that elusive answers frustrate her more than almost anything else.

⬥ kind, sort of ‣ Her introductory codex describes her as having a "serene and considerate manner," something that proves consistently true despite the harshness of the Empire she grew up in. Aliens, enemies, and non-Force Users could be the target of automatic ridicule or judgement from her peers, but not Lana, who shows everyone equal respect until they give her a reason not to. She rarely raises her voice, preferring to channel her anger into more productive actions, and distinctly lacks the classic Sith Lord Sadism. Her sense of humour is far gentler, filled with word play and teasing her companions when they most deserve it.


Suitability:

Although Lana will inevitably go through the standard "what the fuck is going on" period that characters arriving in games like Noctium often experience, when she does accept that she's not getting home any time soon, she'll try to make the best of things. She enjoys learning about new cultures and will be very interested in what amounts to basically whole new belief systems in this world, so that will definitely fill some of her time. Likewise, she's likely to be a little off-put by Synchrony at first, but she's never been one to avoid emotional or physical connections, instead just never having time for them. Forced time off to just spend some time with people is honestly probably going to be good for her. Any powers brought about by her Gembond are likely to be accepted with a general tone of "oh, this is new," as she is very used to being around powers (the Force) that have been known to do whacky things. Physical changes, if any, will be met with more concern than other elements of the game's mechanics and eventually, reluctant acceptance, but no great freaking out or personal crisis.

Basically, once Lana has accepted that there is no one clear entity she can pick a fight with to go home, she'll adapt to the best of her ability and try to find things she can learn from — and possibly even enjoy — this experience.


Condition upon arrival: physically healthy and fit, emotionally could benefit from a vacation.

Abilities: Lana is strong in the Force, which in turn is capable of whatever any given Star Wars script writer says it is, so let's do a breakdown.


⬥ empathy ‣ Lana is said to be extra perceptive compared to other (often more technically skilled) Force Users in her company, something that tends to manifest in her having very strong hunches about people, places, and predicaments. Although an individual's capacity for mental shielding and/or jamjar mechanics can interfere with her ability to sense or affect them, as a general rule Lana can sense: where other living being are, how strong in the Force they are, an overview of both their physical status and any excessive emotions or intents. With the same caveats, she can use the Force to persuade weaker-minded individuals of anything from ignoring a lack of necessary credentials to forgetting anything remarkable about their day.

⬥ combat skills ‣ Like all good Sith, she's quite deadly with her lightsaber, capable of both offensive and defensive stances, and has above average strength and stamina by virtue of her connection to the Force. Lana also has a good head for coordinating attacks, infiltrations, troop movements, etc., and is a capable pilot when she needs to be.

⬥ lighting ‣ Able to generate an electrostatic charge, usually used offensively as a stream of lightning directed at a living or mechanical target.

⬥ telekinetics ‣ Basic ability to move things (and enemies) without physical contact. Examples include neatly stacking a bunch of heavy crates, throwing multiple enemies into a wall at once, and strangling people.

⬥ healing ‣ Capable of simple healing, generally in a battlefield context of fixing weapons damage done to herself or her allies, as well as bolstering them (albeit at a cost to herself) for extra protection if they start lagging a little too much.

⬥ networking ‣ Or, more accurately, "capable of helping to establish and maintain an intergalactic spy network, without it affecting her direct participation in resistance efforts." She's very good at identifying people that could be an asset or a threat and also knowing what questions or suggestions will lead to beneficial results for her or her allies. Between lessons learned from friends and her time in charge of Sith Intelligence, she's picked up many skills in subterfuge, information gathering, electronic slicing, and encryption that all support her natural affinity for puzzle solving.


Inventory:

‣ clothing, featuring multiple layers (all black), belts, armour, and a communication device built into one bracer
‣ her red, single-blade lightsaber


Gembond: Emerald
Gem Location: on her chest, at the base of her sternum


« MISCELLANEOUS »

Sample: top level at TDM #3

Notes: Just in case, here's Lana's Wookiepedia page. Additionally, she's a loyal companion character to an incredibly malleable protagonist, because Bioware. For the sake of Noctium, the "Outlander" she's been working with is a sith warrior with largely light-sided decisions, who she respects and cares for greatly despite how many of her more murdery suggestions he's ignored and all the extra work she's had to do because of it.

Also, Star Wars cats are real cute: